March 9, 2001
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Purdue softball team finished its first two games of the day with a 1-1 split at the N.I.S.T. in San Jose, Calif. The Boilermakers improve to 13-3-1 on their season with the 5-4 loss to Sacramento State and the 7-5 win over Santa Clara.
"In our first game today, we just weren't sharp," said Purdue head coach Carol Bruggeman. "But the positive sign of that game was that even though we weren't sharp in pretty much every aspect of the game, we were still in the game and still almost won. That's the sign of a good, competitive team."
The 5-4 loss for the Boilermakers is the most difficult one yet this season, with Sacramento State's winning home run coming in the bottom of the seventh inning and Purdue committing, an unusually high, three errors.
But in the second game, a different Old Gold and Black team showed up and tallied five runs in the first inning, including a solo home run, while hitting completely through the line-up.
"Today, Meagan Dooley did an outstanding job on the mound in her relief appearance," said Bruggeman. "Katie Crabtree also was a great offensive and defensive threat all day long. Both women did a great job for the team." At the plate for Purdue, Crabtree, a junior shortstop, went 1-3 with two runs in the first game. In the second game, she kicked off the Boilermakers' first inning at-bat with a solo home run shot to deep left center field. She finished the second game going 2-4 with one run and one RBI.
On the mound, sophomore lefty Leighann Burke started the Sacramento State game and pitched 5.1 innings for five hits, four runs, three walks and four strikeouts, while facing 22 batters. Junior Nicole Crouse came in in relief, pitching 1.0 innings, giving up one hit, one run, walking two and striking out one, while facing four batters. Crouse recorded the loss for Purdue, taking her record to 4-2.
Pitching the Santa Clara game, Crouse started, but completed only 1.1 innings after giving up two hits, three runs, walking two and striking out one. She faced six batters. Junior Meagan Dooley came in and finished the game and took the win, pitching 5.2 innings. Dooley faced 21 batters while giving up three hits and two runs, while striking out seven. Dooley moves to 4-0 on the year.
Also producing well at the plate for Purdue was sophomore Jesse Jones, going 2-3 with two RBI against Sacramento State and 1-3 against Santa Clara and senior center fielder Lynne Tortorelli, going 2-4 with one RBI against Sacramento State. Sophomore right fielder Andrea Roush also went 3-4 with two RBI and one run against Santa Clara.
The Boilermakers will look to finish out their pool play strongly at 8 p.m. PST, against the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Sun Devils won both their games earlier today, 9-1 against Santa Clara and 5-1 against Sacramento State.
-P-