April 5, 2000
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue softball team swept a doubleheader with Butler Wednesday afternoon. The Boilermakers (22-19, 1-3 Big Ten) shutout the Bulldogs 8-0 in five innings and 2-0, limiting Butler to two hits in the two games. Starting pitchers Meagan Dooley and Leighann Burke each collected a win, surrendering one hit each in 11 innings pitched.
"Two very outstanding pitching performances today," coach Carol Bruggeman said. "Leighann and Meagan both took control in the first inning and dominated all game long. Both are pitching very well for us right now and today they were awesome. Our defense looks to be back on track, and offensively we hit the ball hard in both games. We need to take the confidence and fun we had in these two games and carry them on the road this weekend to Ohio State and Penn State."
Dooley (8-6) dominated the Bulldogs on the mound in the first game of the twin bill. The sophomore didn't allow a Butler runner past second base while inducing 10 of the 13 batters she faced to ground out to the infield. She struck out two and walked none in four innings of work, surrendering the lone single in the fourth. Nicole Crouse took over in the top of the fifth retiring the Bulldogs in order.
The Boilers rapped out 10 hits in the five-inning, eight-run mercy rule shortened game. Purdue scored four runs in the first inning, two in the fourth and one in the second and fifth. Sophomore Chrissy Davie led the Boilers offensively, finishing the first game 2-for-3 with two doubles and a career high four RBI. Skeeter Nixon scored Purdue's first run of the game to give her 114 for her career, tying assistant coach Sam Mercier's school record.
In the second game, Burke (6-7) picked up right where Dooley had left off. The freshman tossed 6.1 innings of no-hit ball before surrendering a swinging bunt single to Jeri Keller in the seventh. She struck out eight in the complete game shutout. The lefthander hasn't surrendered an earned run in her last 19.2 innings pitched, striking out 18 hitters during the stretch while lowering her ERA from 3.33 to 2.60.
Offensively Purdue waited until the sixth inning to put runs on the board in support of Burke. After catcher Keely Povlitz reached on an error by Butler's third baseman, Skeeter Nixon line a shot over the head of the Bulldog center fielder for a double, scoring Povlitz from first. Nixon would come around to score an insurance run on a single by Andrea Roush, making her Purdue's all-time career leader in runs scored with 115.
The Boilermakers will resume their Big Ten season this weekend with a road trip to Columbus, Ohio and State College, Pa. to take on Ohio State and Penn State, respectively.