March 13, 2004
SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Senior Cheryl Buergler dropped a bloop single just inside the chalk behind first base in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Purdue to a 1-0 win over conference foe Wisconsin in day two action at the NIST softball tournament.
The hit by Buergler drove in pinch runner Jamie Dum from third to move the Boilermakers to 2-2 on the tournament and 12-7 overall. Freshman Katie Fortune gave Purdue a base runner, when she hit a high fly ball into the outfield, which was dropped by the Badger center fielder. Fortune advanced to second on the play, before being replaced on the base by Dum. Freshman Erika Peterson then supplied a sacrifice bunt to put Dum on third with Buergler coming to bat. The senior delivered in just her second game as a starter in place of freshman DaQueta Johnson, who is out with an injury.
"Nothing was easy for us today," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "We had to work for our outs; we had to really work for our hits. We had to really work for things to go our way. I am very proud of our perseverance."
The Boilermakers put three runners aboard in the bottom of the first, but couldn't convert them into runs on the scoreboard. Junior Andrea Hillsey reached on a two-out walk, then stole second, before senior Angela Knight joined her on base after a fielding error by the shortstop. Knight stole second to give Purdue runners at second and third with junior Shelli Messer coming to the plate. Messer walked to load the bases, before a strike out ended the inning.
Wisconsin threatened in the fourth, posting back-to-back singles to start the inning. Kristin Zacher hit one to right field, then Boo Gillette sent one up the middle. Diana Consolmagno then grounded into a double play, but advanced Zacher to third. A ground out kept the Badgers off the scoreboard.
Purdue notched its first hit of the contest in the fifth, as junior Katie Absher tapped the ball toward the second baseman and used her speed to reach safely. Unfortunately, the Boilermakers could not convert the hit into a run.
The Badgers put a runner in scoring position in the sixth, when Athena Vasquez singled up the middle then advance to second on a sacrifice bunt. Boo Gillette then reached on an error by the shortstop, but was punched out at second as she tried to stretch the miscue into a double. The error moved Vasquez to third with two outs. A pop up kept the shutout in tact.
The bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh saw each team go down in order, leading to Purdue's last minute heroics.
"Brooke Baker pitched a nice game and we made some nice defensive plays when we had to," Bruggeman said. "I am just thrilled for Cheryl, she is somebody who has been a good senior leader for us. She had the opportunity to step in for one of our best hitters, who was injured, and she came through with the game-winning RBI. She is going to swing her bat and make things happen for us, so it couldn't have happened to a better person."
Buergler and Absher posted Purdue's lone hits of the game, while Wisconsin managed five hits while committing three errors.
Freshman Brooke Baker (7-1) picked up the victory with the complete game shutout, while Katie Layne (6-2) was charged with the loss.
The Boilermakers finish up their time at the NIST tournament with a Sunday contest against Minnesota. The first pitch is slated for 9 a.m. PST.