April 9, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A two-out double in the ninth inning secured Illinois a 3-2 win over the Purdue softball team Friday afternoon. The Boilermakers, who played their second extra-inning game in a week's span, tallied nine hits in the contest, but could not convert on some crucial scoring opportunities. The team will look to even the score with the Illini in a noon game on Saturday.
"This was a heartbreaking loss," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "Brooke Baker pitched her heart out and definitely pitched well enough to win against a very good hitting Illinois team. The good news is that we put ourselves in a lot of very good positions offensively to win the game. As a coach, all you can ask for is to give yourself an the opportunity to win. The problem is that we never cashed in on it and left way too many runners on base. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to score a few more runs and get some of those RBI."
The Boilermakers got their first base runner in the third inning as sophomore Lauren Devich bounced a line drive off the front corner of the bag at third base for a double. The Illini then intentionally walked sophomore Tricia Lilley to get to senior Angela Knight, who loaded the bases with a two-out infield single to short. A line out to left field kept Purdue from getting on the board.
The Illini put the first run on the scoreboard on three hits and an error in the top of the fourth. Lindsey Hamma got on base with a lead-single up the middle, then moved to second on a Jenna Hall sacrifice bunt. Erin Montgomery then got on base via fielder's choice and wound up at third on the play. Hamma capitalized on the fielder's choice reaching third on a missed run down and then scoring as a throw from the second baseman went into the dugout for a dead ball. The dead ball put Montgomery at third, before an Erin Jones single up the middle brought her in to score. A converted fielder's choice and a swinging strikeout wrapped up the inning.
"I was really proud of the way that we came back after we gave up the two runs on the error," Bruggeman said. "We hit the ball, made some things happen and tied the game up. From that point on, it was just a battle. We certainly had opportunities to win the game and hopefully tomorrow we will be able to do that."
Purdue answered with a single run in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Staci Falzon bounced a one-out double off the center field wall to give the Boilermakers a runner. Junior Shelli Messer followed with a single up the middle to drive in the run.
The Boilermakers tied the game with a run on two hits and an error in the fifth. Redshirt sophomore Kristen Schell led off with a pinch hit single through the left side. Pinch runner Catherine Zaworski then moved to second on a Tricia Lilley fly ball to left and to third on a throwing error by the left fielder. Knight then made good on the RBI opportunity with a single to second base, bringing in the run.
Both teams threatened in the sixth, but could not convert. Illinois left two aboard after a hit and a walk, while Purdue stranded one after a double play and a double by Messer in the bottom of the inning.
Illinois went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh leaving it up to the Boilermakers to end it in regulation. Devich singled up the middle to put the potential winning run on base, but a strikeout and a ground out which resulted in a double play sent the game to extra stanzas.
Hamma singled to give the Illini a runner in the eighth, but she was later caught stealing before a strikeout brought the Boilermakers to bat. Knight drew a lead-off walk for Purdue, but the team grounded into a double play to empty the bases. Another ground out sent the game to another stanza.
Jones posted an infield single to kick off the ninth inning, then was erased from the base paths with a LeeAnn Butcher fielder's choice. Kisten Martin then sent a two-out double into left field, just deep enough to allow Butcher to beat the throw at the plate for a score. Freshman Brooke Baker struck out the next batter, her ninth of the game, to close the inning.
It all came down to a final stanza for Purdue. A fly out brought up Messer, who drew a walk from relief pitcher Sherri Taylor. A ground out moved her to second, but a ground ball to the pitcher sealed the Illini win.
The Boilermakers scored two runs on nine hits, while Illinois posted three runs on seven hits in the contest. Each team committed one error in the game. Messer, Devich and Knight each tallied two hits in the contest. Baker (13-5) struck out nine in the complete game effort, while Taylor (7-7) picked up the win after tossing four and two thirds innings in relief.
Purdue (23-14) returns to action for a rematch with the Illini (25-14-1) at noon on Saturday.