Feb. 10, 2001
AUBURN, Ala. - The Purdue softball team wrapped up its day with a 2-1 victory over Syracuse. The Boilermakers improve to 3-1 after dual wins today and the Orangewomen fall to 1-3. Purdue is now the No. 2 seed for the bracket play that begins tomorrow morning.
"This was an outstanding come-from-behind win," said Purdue head coach Carol Bruggeman. "Jesse Jones hit one of the most towering homeruns in Purdue softball history and Chrissy Davie came through at the right time with a great RBI. Overall, it was a really great team win and our pitchers did a great job on the defense again."
Purdue placed junior Meagan Dooley on the mound for her first start of the 2001 season. Dooley completed 6.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run, and walking one while facing 20 total batters. Sophomore Nicole Crouse finished out the game for Purdue, taking the save after facing only three batters, due to the excellent defense of the field.
In the field for the Old Gold and Black, the defense held strong, as the Orangewomen did not tally a single hit until the bottom of the fifth. But it would be the defensive efforts of senior Lynne Tortorelli that made a dramatic difference.
After the Boilermakers made a great comeback in the top of the seventh with Jones' incredible one-run home run and Davies' RBI to send sophomore Angi Roembke home, it was Tortorelli that made the unexpected double play from centerfield to win the game.
After Crouse took a bad hop off of a hit and was charged with the error, putting a runner on second, it looked as if the game was turning around again for the Boilermakers. But Syracuse came up to bat, popped a small fly ball to the first base side of the field and it was easily handled by Davie. Then, the Orangewomen hit a driving, fly ball to left-centefield and Tortorelli dove, caught the ball and returned to her feet with lighting-quick speed, gunning down the runner that had started her tagged run from second to third.
The Orangewomen were done for the day and Purdue completed the day with a 2-0 record to put them at 3-1 overall and the No. two seed for the Invitational bracket.
The Boilermakers will return to action tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. CST when they take on the Huskies of Nothern Illinois. If the Old Gold and Black wins, they will be placed into the championship game and play again at 3 p.m.