April 12, 2000
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The softball coaching staff was looking for the offense to be aggressive in their doubleheader against IUPUI on Wednesday. The team responded with 19 hits in the two-game, shutout sweep of the Jaguars. The Boilermakers (25-20, 2-4 Big Ten) took an early lead in both contests and left little doubt as to who was in control in the 8-0 and 5-0 victories in Indianapolis.
"The coaching staff challenged the team before the game to take charge," coach Carol Bruggeman said. "We wanted them to swing hard at good pitches and to drive the ball. They accepted the challenge and really played well today. We got offensive production from a number of different players up and down the lineup. The pitching was on top their game again and our defense appears to be back to its steady reliable self."
In the first game of the double dip, the Boilermakers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first when Andrea Roush reached first on an one-out error by IUPUI's third baseman and moved to second on a wild pitch. Katie Crabtree followed with a single, advancing Roush to third, while moving to second on the throw. After Heidi Foster grounded out to third for the second out of the inning, Jessica Jones singled to left field scoring Roush from third. Crabtree came home on the play when the left fielder bobbled the ball and threw late to the plate.
Two runs would be all starter Leighann Burke would need, as she cruised through the Jaguar lineup, surrendering three lone singles in the second, third and fifth innings. The southpaw struck out seven IUPUI hitters while walking none in five innings of work.
The Boilermaker offense, however, wasn't finished, providing more support with a run in the fifth and five in the sixth. Roush led off the fifth with a single to center and stole second. After a Crabtree strikeout and fly out by Foster, Jones delivered again with two outs driving a single to left to plate Roush.
Needing five runs in the sixth to end the game early with the eight-run mercy rule, the Boilers jumped all over Jaguar starter Megan Fultz and reliever Christine Lansdown.
Angi Roembke led off the top of the inning with a single to center and was advanced to second on Danica Maher's single to left. Catcher Keely Povlitz sacrificed the pair to third and second respectively. Skeeter Nixon then singled to right center to score Roembke and Maher to make the score 5-0. After a Nixon steal of second, Roush lined a double to the gap in left center, scoring Nixon for a 6-0 lead. Hoping to stop the bleeding, IUPUI went to reliever Lansdown whom promptly gave up a single to Crabtree to score Roush and a RBI double to Jones.
With the eight runs in hand, Purdue reliever Nicole Crouse retired the side in the sixth to end the game. The Boilermakers finished game one cranking out 12 hits with Roush and Jones leading the way. Roush finished the day 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a RBI, Jones ended up 3-for-4 with three RBI, all with two outs. Burke (8-7) picked up the win.
The second game went much like the first. The Boilers scored two runs each in the second and third innings and one in the fifth.
Jill Paxson, running for Foster, who had led off the second with an infield single, got the scoring started with her steal of home on a botched suicide squeeze play. Jones followed Paxson home, when Jaguar starter Mariko Barajas delivered a wild pitch that catcher Lacy Query couldn't handle to give Purdue the early 2-0 advantage.
Once again, the two runs would be enough for Purdue, as starter Crystal Inman (5-1) would go five strong innings giving up only four hits, but the Boilermakers continued to be aggressive on offense in the third.
After Roush bunted her way on and stole second with one out and Crabtree walked, Foster delivered a double down the line in left to score Crabtree and Roush.
Purdue would wrap up the scoring in the sixth with a Danika Nice sac-fly to score pinch runner Briana Hensley.
Meagan Dooley tossed a perfect final two innings to preserve the win. Foster led all Purdue batters, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI.
The Boilermakers return to Big Ten action this weekend with a pair of games against Northwestern on Friday beginning at 2 p.m. at the Varsity Softball Complex and single games versus Iowa on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.