March 23, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue softball team clinched its own Boilermaker Invitational tournament title with a 10-0 win over intrastate foe Butler. The Old Gold and Black went 4-0 on the weekend as did Big Ten rival Michigan, but the Boilermakers claimed the title on the run differential tie breaker. With a margin limit of eight runs allowed per game, Purdue outscored opponents by 32, while the Wolverines recorded only a 25-point advantage on opponents. The title is the third for the Boilermakers in the tournament's eight-year history and the second in two years.
Purdue extended its current win streak to nine games and its shutout streak to six games as freshman Diana LaRiva pitched a four-hit outing, while striking out nine Bulldog batters.
The Boilermaker bats took care of the rest as Purdue tallied 10 runs on 10 hits in the victory. The Old Gold and Black put together a pair of two-out hits, a single by sophomore Andrea Hillsey and a double by senior Heidi Foster, to score the first run of the game in the opening inning. Hillsey tallied a base hit to center field, then stole second to bring up Foster with an RBI on the line. The senior responded with the double to center field.
A four-hit rally brought a quartet of runs in the second stanza. Andrea Roush led off the inning with single to right field and then stole second. Freshman designated player Staci Falzon then reached base as the second baseman mishandled a throw by the first baseman on a sacrifice bunt attempt. The error was enough to drive Roush in from second. Falzon advanced to second on a Lauren Devich sac bunt and to third on an Angela Knight single down the left field line. Knight then stole second to put both runners in scoring position for senior Angi Roembke, who hit a bloop single to drive in both runs. Hillsey then singled to left center to score Roembke to cap the inning.
The Boilermakers boosted their run tally in the fourth inning with five more scores and four more hits. A pair of singles by Roembke and Hillsey and a free pass for Tricia Lilley loaded the bases for senior Heidi Foster. Relief pitcher Jennifer Sundin then walked Foster, scoring Lilley from third. Senior Jesse Jones picked up her ninth RBI of the tournament with a single to right field to drive in Roembke. Hillsey crossed the plate on a passed ball which advanced all of the runners, then Foster scored on a Falzon RBI single to right center. Devich flew out to left field, but scored Jones on the play to give the Boilermakers the final 10-0 tally.
Butler tried to put something together in the top of the fifth, but the Boilermaker defense prevailed. After a lead off single, freshman pitcher Diana LaRiva maintained her composure, striking out her ninth batter of the day to get the inning's first out. The Bulldogs got another base runner on a walk, but could not convert, popping out and flying out to end the game.
"Diana was tough when she needed to be today," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "Offensively, Heidi's three-run home run separated us from them and from that point on, the outcome was never in doubt. It was nice for us to play at home this weekend. Our players were fired up to play in front of our fans on our field, we just have to keep it going."
Hillsey went 3-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored, while Roembke was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs. LaRiva moved to 7-5 with the victory, while Katie Marshall fell to 0-5 with the defeat.
Purdue will be back in action when they play host to Illinois-Chicago for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday.
Three Boilermakers were named to the all-tournament team, while senior pitcher Leighann Burke took MVP honors. Jones, Foster and Lilley received the all-tournament nod along with nine other players. Burke posted a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA with a no-hitter and a one-hitter, while striking out 15 batters and allowing just two walks. Jones posted a .750 batting average in the tournament with six hits, including a double and two home runs and nine RBI, for a 1.625 slugging percentage. Foster tallied six hits, three doubles, two home runs and eight RBI for a .545 average and a 1.364 slugging percentage. Lilley batted .417 with four hits for extra bases, including two home runs, and seven RBI.
The Boilermaker Invitational All-Tournament team was as follows:
Heidi Foster (Purdue)
Jesse Jones (Purdue)
Tricia Lilley (Purdue)
Meghan Doe (Michigan)
Monica Schock (Michigan)
Marissa Young (Michigan)
Jeri Keller (Butler)
Cameo Wrasse (Butler)
Maggie Bruening (IPFW)
Crystal Fisher (IPFW)
Susan Scott (Loyola (Chicago))
Staci Reichert (Gardner-Webb)
MVP - Leighann Burke (Purdue)