April 8, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team rewrote the record books with a 19-0 win over IPFW in Game 2 of the double header.
The 19-run tally broke the school record mark of 16, set on March 14, 1998 vs. Belmont and duplicated on April 14, 1999 vs. Ohio State. The Boilermakers posted a record 16 RBI in the game, topping the previous record of 15 set in the 1999 Ohio State game. IPFW also walked eight Purdue batters, exceeding the previous high of seven, set March 20, 2002 against IUPUI. All 17 available players on the Purdue roster saw action in the game.
Freshman Staci Falzon continued her domination of the Mastodon pitchers with a school record seven RBI on a pair of hits and a walk. The designated player was 4 for 5 on the day with two doubles and two triples, en route to surpassing freshman Tricia Lilley's single game record of six RBI, set against UC Riverside on February 16. Redshirt freshman Kristen Schell finally found the power in her bat, launching a school-record tying two home runs in the 13-run second inning.
"Offensively, we had 25 hits in 10 innings, that's phenomenal," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "Staci was definitely the hitter of the day, going 4 for 5 with 11 RBI. That is what we need from our designated player position. We need her to put the ball in play and get runs across the plate. Staci just had a huge day. It was also great for us to get Shelli (Messer) back on the mound."
The designated visiting team in Game 2, Purdue put six runs on the scoreboard in the first inning. Seniors Angi Roembke and Andrea Roush started the rally with a pair of singles. Sophomore Andrea Hillsey walked to load the bases. A fielder's choice denied Roembke a run as the shortstop Maggie Bruening threw home to stop the scoring attempt, but the play put senior Heidi Foster on base. Pitcher Beth Harmon gave the Boilermakers their first run walking Jesse Jones and sending Roush home. Falzon worked started her second game magic with a three-run triple to left field, clearing the bases. Schell got her bat warmed up with a high fly ball which was dropped by the left fielder, sending Falzon in to score.
Hillsey singled up the middle to start the 13-run second inning. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on another, after Foster joined her on base with a walk. Jesse Jones loaded the bases with another free base from Harmon. Freshman Lauren Devich reached on an error by the second baseman, scoring Hillsey and again filling the bases for Falzon, who lasered a bases-clearing double into deep left field.
The Mastodons brought in reliever Mindy Mason to try to stop the bleeding, but she also ran into the hot Boilermaker bats. Schell took Mason's first pitch for a ride, launching her first career home run, a two-run dinger, way beyond the right field wall. Roembke walked between ground outs, before a passed ball sent her to third and a Foster single down the left field line sent her home. Jones followed, drilling another ball up the third baseline, and moving Foster and Hillsey, who had walked, into scoring position. Devich sent another ball rolling through the left side to score Hillsey. Foster came around as Mason walked Falzon to give her the school record seventh RBI. Schell approached the plate with bases loaded and sent Mason's first offering sailing over the left center wall to cap the scoring and tally the team's fourth grand slam of the year.
The Boilermaker bench sprung into action in the third inning, as junior Cheryl Buergler went to left field for Roembke, freshman Becky Stone took over in center field for Roush and sophomore Katie Absher went to right field for Angela Knight. Junior Laura Martin took over at first base for Heidi Foster and Shelli Messer came in at third for Jones. The Mastodons also sent in four reinforcements, subbing for their entire outfield as well as third base. Buergler made good on the opportunity with her first hit of the season, a single to left field. Stone also made contact, reaching base on a fielder's choice.
More substitutions came in the fourth as sophomore Courtney Kovanis pinch hit for Devich and pitcher Leighann Burke traded glove for bat, taking Falzon's spot in the order. Kovanis grounded out, but Burke hit a solid single up the middle, in her first official at-bat. (The senior lefty tallied a sacrifice hit against Valparaiso on March 13, 2002.)
Buergler doubled to left to lead off the fifth, then freshman pitcher Diana LaRiva picked up a bat for the first time in her Purdue career, lining out to the first baseman. LaRiva was the last of the 17 available Boilermakers to enter the game, but the Purdue substitutions were not finished. Martin moved from first to third, Falzon took over at first and Messer moved from third base to the mound. The sophomore sent the Mastodons away in order on a trio of ground outs in her first pitching action since returning from surgery for a broken cheek bone.
The Boilermakers scored 19 runs on 15 hits and four IPFW errors, while allowing just three hits in the game. Burke moves to 16-8 with the win, while Harmon fell to 7-3 with the loss.
Purdue will look to parlay the success into a winning streak when it faces Illinois and Northwestern in weekend Big Ten contests. The Illini come to West Lafayette for meetings at 3 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday. The Wildcats and Boilermakers are set to battle in a doubleheader at noon on Sunday.