March 7, 2002
PLANT CITY, Fla. - The Purdue softball team split on its first day of competition at the 2002 Speedline Invitational, hosted by the University of South Florida, in Plant City. The Boilermakers defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first game, 7-6, and fell to the UT-Chattanooga Mocs, 3-1, in the second game at the Plant City Stadium, the former home of the Cincinnati Reds' Spring Training Camp.
"Offensively, in the first game, we did a good job of setting the tome for the week," said Purdue head coach Carol Bruggeman. "We put a lot of balls in play and both Katie (Crabtree) and Heidi (Foster) had great days. Defensively, even though we struggled late, a nice play by Angi (Roembke) and Shelli (Messer) ended the game well for us.
"In the second game, I thought that the effects of our travel schedule, both last weekend in L.A. and getting here with our delays, late arrival and baggage problems, really showed through. Our team is going to get a good night's rest and come back out hard tomorrow against Northern Illinois and South Florida."
Against the Hokies, the Boilermakers got off to a quick start, as they nearly run-ruled VT in only six innings of play. But, Tech made a run that would put them back in the game for a near defeat of Purdue in the sixth and seventh innings.
The Old Gold and Black started the game quickly in the first inning with a single by lead-off batter Katie Crabtree and a sacrifice bunt by left fielder Angi Roembke to advance her to second. Freshman second baseman Andrea Hillsey then continued her streak at the plate and reached on a fielder's choice. The Hokies chose to take out Crabtree at third as the leading runner, but it didn't matter once junior first baseman Heidi Foster stepped to the plate. Foster hit her sixth home run of the year with a chop swing that went sailing. She recorded two RBI, as both she and Hillsey crossed the plate to take the Boilermakers up, 2-0.
The Boilermakers' next scoring drive came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when sophomore right fielder Angela Knight hit a single that dropped just fair, right behind the third baseman, on a 3-2 count. With Knight waiting on first, Crabtree came to the plate as the top of the order and hit her sixth home run of the year, another two-run smash. Hillsey was able to produce another hard-hit single, but it wouldn't produce a third run and Purdue ended the inning with two runs on three hits.
Purdue tallied three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, with Foster hitting a two-run double and junior center fielder Andrea Roush grounding out, but collecting the RBI as Hillsey crossed the plate.
The Hokies attempted their comeback in the top of the sixth inning, when they suddenly came alive and started collecting hit after hit. Tallying four runs on four hits and one Boilermaker error, Tech gave the Boilermakers a glimpse of how quickly a softball game can and will turn around.
The women of the Old Gold and Black hung on, but weren't able to produce any distance between themselves and Virginia Tech in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Then, in the seventh inning, the Hokies kept their hopes alive with a two-run home run. However, Purdue's freshman third baseman Shelli Messer kept the Boilermakers from the defeat with a turned double play that took two runners off base ahead of that home run.
Then, the final out of the inning came on a hard-hit single that sent a runner towards third and home. But, with a 7-5 cutoff play, Purdue's defense took out the runner at third before the runner headed towards the plate could cross and the Boilermakers preserved their win.
On the mound, junior Leighann Burke tallied her sixth win of the season with senior Meagan Dooley earning her first save of the year.
In the second game against UT-Chattanooga, the Boilermakers' only run came in the sixth inning when Roembke hit a double down the left field line that send Knight to third and Roush home. Even with runners on second and third, Purdue could not take control of the game and tie it up, even in the top of the seventh, and it fell to 11-8 on the year.
On the mound, senior Nicole Crouse dropped to 3-3 on the year with the complete game.
The Boilermakers will return to the diamond tomorrow at the Speedline Invitational at 2 p.m., when they take on the Northern Illinois Huskies. Immediately following that game, they will play South Florida.
-P-