May 2, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team's bid for a series sweep of Penn State ended in a split after the Nittany Lions posted a 2-1 win in Game 2 of the Sunday doubleheader. Purdue will look to end the season on a winning note when the team faces Indiana in a pair of conference games next weekend.
Penn State got on the board in the bottom of the first combining a single, a walk and a double. Leigh Murray sent a two-out single up the middle, then Kate Gentile walked bumping Murray to second. Barbie Pierce answered the RBI call with a double down the left field line, which scored Murray. A foul brought Purdue to bat.
The Boilermakers tied it up with a single run on two hits and two errors in the second. Freshman Erika Peterson led off with a single through the right side, then moved to second on a botched fielder's choice. The pitcher overthrew second base trying to get Peterson as freshman DaQueta Johnson reached on the fielder's choice. Sophomore Lauren Devich then tallied an infield single, moving the runners. Pinch runner Cheryl Buergler advanced to third and Peterson scored on the play as the third baseman overthrew first trying attempting get Devich, who beat the throw. Devich stole second giving Purdue two runners in scoring position. A trio of ground balls kept the Boilermakers from converting.
Purdue threatened in the fourth, but could not score. Peterson led off with a single into short right field. Pinch runner Jamie Dum moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Becky Stone and a ground out that followed. Another ground out left the runner stranded.
The Nittany Lions regained the lead in the fourth when Kari Lucas sent a one-out home run of the left field wall, prompting a Boilermaker pitching change. Freshman Brooke Baker came in to face the next PSU batters and got two of the three she faced to ground out.
The Boilermakers had a chance to score in the sixth, but a call at the plate cost the team the tying run. Senior Angela Knight posted an infield single to start things off, then was sacrificed over to second by sophomore Tricia Lilley. Peterson walked to bring up Johnson, who singled to center. Knight rounded third and headed home, where she was called out sliding around the catcher in a bang-bang play at the plate. Johnson and Peterson moved into scoring position on the throw from the center fielder. A ground out left them aboard.
Penn State looked to score in the bottom of the inning, after putting runners at second and third with one out. Katie Stauffer doubled to center, then Scarlett Neal walked. Both runners moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Destinie Chavez then reached on a fielder's choice as the Boilermaker shortstop threw out Stauffer at the plate. A ground ball brought Purdue up for one last chance.
Freshman Katie Fortune drew a one-out walk, then moved to second on a Katie Absher fielder's choice, as the third baseman overthrew second trying to get the out. Sophomore Staci Falzon then reached on a fielder's choice as PSU punched out Fortune at third. A ground ball sealed the Nittany Lions win.
Peterson went 2-for-2 in the game with the team's lone run, boosting her plate total to 5-for-5 on the day. Four other Boilermakers contributed to the team's six hit effort. Penn State scored two runs on five hits while committing three errors.
Shana Riggleman (9-4) picked up the win for PSU, while starting pitcher Diana LaRiva (14-13) was charged with the loss for Purdue. LaRiva tallied one strikeout in the game, boosting her school single-season record K tally to 190. LaRiva broke the Sheryl Scheve's six-year-old record of 188 against Ohio State on Friday.
The Boilermakers (31-24, 4-13 Big Ten) return to action next Saturday when they travel to Bloomington, Ind., for a 1 p.m. contest with the Indiana Hoosiers.