March 9, 2003
PLANT CITY, Fla. - The Purdue softball team ended a five-game winning streak, falling to eventual tournament champion Oklahoma State in eight innings at the Speedline Invitational Sunday morning.
Each team tallied three hits in the first seven innings of the game, but neither could convert those into runs. After entering eighth inning on the international tie breaker rule, the Cowgirls garnered two key hits to claim the game and move on to the final against Stanford. With pinch runner Ashleigh Tweed on second base, left fielder Megan Carey posted an RBI double to center field for the first run of the game. Lacy Darity pinch ran for Carey and scored on Lauren Bay double to left just two batters later.
Purdue had pinch runner Katie Absher aboard in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn't bring her around as a pair of line outs and a fly ended the game.
The Boilermakers' best chance to score in regulation was in the sixth inning as OSU committed two errors resulting in base runners for Purdue. With two outs, freshman Tricia Lilley reached on an error by the third baseman. Senior Angi Roembke capitalized on a mistake by the shortstop on the next play. A ground out cut the rally short.
Senior centerfielder Andrea Roush, redshirt freshman catcher Kristen Schell and freshman designated player Staci Falzon tabbed hits in the game for Purdue, while Carey and Bay each had two hits for OSU.
OSU topped Stanford 3-1 in the Speedline championship game.
Purdue's next action is a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader against Louisville.