April 3, 2002
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue softball team jumped back on the winning track with two shutout defeats of Butler on Wednesday at the Varsity Softball Complex, 4-0 and 7-0. The Boilermakers improve to 27-11 with their wins, while the Bulldogs fall to 6-12.
"Today our focus was to get back to basics," said Purdue head coach Carol Bruggeman. "I thought we did that very well - with pitching, defense and with our hitting, as we hit through the lineup again. Angi (Roembke) and Jesse (Jones) really led the offense today and they made a lot happen with their at-bats."
The Boilermakers started the first game with a run in the bottom of the first inning, when junior leftfielder Angi Roembke singled on a bunt, beating out the throw in traditional Roembke style. Then, freshman second baseman Andrea Hillsey singled into the shortstop/third base hole, advancing Roembke to second. Junior centerfielder Andrea Roush singled to center field, sending Roembke home for the score.
Then, in the bottom of the third, it was Roembke who scored again, as she reached base in the same way she did during her first at-bat. Hillsey came behind and laid down a 1-4 sacrifice bunt that advanced Roembke to second just before junior first baseman Heidi Foster stepped up and singled through the left side for the RBI from second base.
The Boilermakers finished it off in the bottom of the sixth inning, when junior catcher Jesse Jones started it off with a double to left field. Freshman Katie Absher came in to pinch run for Jones and moved to third on a sophomore Angela Knight 1-4 sacrifice bunt. Then, senior shortstop Katie Crabtree stepped to the plate and smashed her 10th home run of the season for two RBI.
The Bulldogs would continue to attempt a comeback in the top of the seventh inning, but the Purdue defense was too much for the Blue and White, falling to the Boilermakers, despite tallying four hits with no errors.
In the second game, the Boilermakers started off slowly, not tallying a run until the fourth inning. Then, with back-to-back solo home runs, Jones and junior designated player Laura Martin put the Old Gold and Black up 2-0.
Purdue would break out in its next at-bat, tallying five runs on five hits and one Butler error.
After a lead-off strike out for the Boilermakers, Crabtree was walked and then stole second. Roembke singled through the left side, advancing Crabtree to third. Then, Roembke stole second and the Boilermakers now had runners on second and third with just one out.
Next, Hillsey hit a hard single through the left side, advanced Roembke to third and scored Crabtree. Hillsey then went on to second on the throw from the Butler outfield that held Roembke at third, as she made the turn towards home. Foster stepped up and came through with a two RBI single up the middle, as both Roembke and Hillsey crossed the plate.
Absher entered the second game on first base for Foster as a pinch runner and went all the way to third with Roush singled up the middle. Roush advanced to second on a steal and went to third on a Jones single that scored Absher.
The runs continued for the Boilermakers when Jones took off for the first half of a double steal attempt by the Boilermakers and went to second. The throw down to second was off, however, and Roush scored on the missed throw by the Butler catcher, while Jones went to third.
Two more outs via a 6-3 ground out and a caught fly ball ended the inning for the Old Gold and Black, as well as the game.
As the teams were making the inning switch, it was decided that the field was too muddy to continue to play, while the darkness also was falling quickly.
On the mound for the Boilermakers in the first game, senior Nicole Crouse improved her record to 9-3 with her sixth shutout of the year, while tallying eight strikeouts in 25 batters. She allowed four hits in the seven-inning complete game appearance.
In the second game, junior Leighann Burke improved her record to 11-5 with her fourth shutout of the year. Burke recorded four strikeouts against 15 batters and held the Bulldogs to a one-hitter in the five-inning appearance.
The Old Gold and Black will return to the field on Friday and Saturday, when they host the Northwestern Wildcats for their Big Ten home opening weekend. Game time is set for 4 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, the Iowa Hawkeyes will visit West Lafayette for a noon doubleheader.
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