Feb. 9, 2002
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - The Purdue softball team improved to 3-1 this evening with an eight-run output in five innings over the Florida A&M Rattlerettes. The Rattlerettes fall to 2-4 with the Boilermakers' 10-hit, run-rule victory. The victory is also head coach Carol Bruggeman's 250th Purdue and career coaching win.
"Wow! Today was a great offensive explosion," said Purdue head coach Carol Bruggeman. "Laura Martin just crushed both those home run balls and that really threw out the lineup. Andrea Hillsey, Katie Crabtree and Heidi Foster all had a strong day, too. Above all, I really think that this game tonight shows what type of offensive output this team is capable of.
"On the mound, Leighann Burke had a much stronger perfomance in this game with a one-hitter and we're really excited about the opportunity to play in the championship game tomorrow morning. This is right where we want to be and we're glad to have the chance to play Georgia again."
The Old Gold and Black started the game right away in the first inning. As the visiting team, Purdue had the first at-bats and gathered two hits and two runs on one FAMU error.
Purdue started off with an Andrea Hillsey walk, followed by a FAMU wild pitch, allowing Hillsey to head to second. Junior leftfielder Angi Roembke followed with a single that advanced Hillsey to third, while Roembke snuck into second on the throw.
With another wild pitch on the way, Hillsey headed home with Roembke on the way to third. But cathcer Ruby Nugent of FAMU scooped the ball to the pitcher for a play at the plate that caught Hillsey for the first out of the inning.
Next up for Purdue was senior shortstop Katie Crabtree who reached first on an error by the shortstop, while Roembke went home for Purdue's first score. Junior first baseman Heidi Foster came up with a smashed single to left centerfield that sent Crabtree home for another Boilermaker run, while Foster went on to second on the throw to the plate.
The inning's scoring run would come to an end, however, when Foster was picked off while rounding second on an 8-2-6 play and junior designated player Laura Martin grounded out at third base.
The Boilermakers tallied another of their 10 hits in the second inning, but recorded the next run in the top of the third when Roembke reached first on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored when Crabtree hit a single and advanced to second on the throw home.
The Purdue defense continued through the next inning with a four-up, three-down sequence.
The game became especially exciting when Martin stepped to the plate and smashed her first home run of the year straight over the centerfield wall on a 1-2 pitch count. Roush followed with her own great single up the middle to centerfield and went to second on a junior catcher Jesse Jones sacrifice bunt.
Freshman Shelli Messer got on base with a solid hit and an error by the third baseman. Senior rightfielder Chrissy Davie grounded out at first, but was able to advance the runners for the RBI, as Roush scored and Messer went to second. Hillsey pulled up big with an RBI double for the third Purdue run of the inning, as Messer headed home.
The Boilermakers finished the fourth inning with great defense and began the fifth inning that would cap off the scoring drive for the run-ruled game.
Crabtree was the first up with a deep fly ball that the centerfielder was able to get to, just before Foster crushed her third home run of the year and weekend on the first pitch across the plate. Martin followed Foster with another home run that put the cap on the eight runs for the Boilermakers.
The Boilermakers will take the diamond tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m., when they have a chance to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs for the Triple Crown Invitational Championship.
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