Feb. 19, 2005
LAFAYETTE, La. - The Boilermaker softball team used a strong offensive attack to defeat Mississippi Valley State 7-2 to wrap up Day 2 of the Louisiana Classic Saturday night. Purdue posted 14 hits, including multi-hit efforts by five different players, en route to the win. Hurlers Melissa Burns and Brooke Baker combined for 11 strikeouts in the effort.
Purdue tallied two hits in the second but couldn't convert them into a run on the scoreboard. Sophomore DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) led off with a bloop single into short left field. Pinch runner Jamie Dum (Indianapolis, Ind.) moved to second on a ground ball and to third on a bunt single by senior Shelli Messer (Greenfield, Ind.). Messer stole second putting both in scoring position, but a fly ball to centerfield kept the Boilermakers off the scoreboard.
The Delta Devilettes struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning. Emily Holcomb drew a one-out walk to start the rally. Balencia Young and Traci Roper followed with singles to load the bases. A fielder's choice scored the first run as Holcomb just beat the throw home. Amber Stewart then singled up the right field line, driving in Young before Roper was thrown out trying to score from second. A line drive to the third baseman ended the inning.
Sophomore Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) singled up the middle, but was out on a line-drive double play by the next batter. A strike out wrapped up the stanza.
The Boilermakers took the lead with five runs on six hits in the fourth. Senior Andrea Hillsey (White Lake, Mich.) reached on a bunt single to start the inning. Johnson then sent a home-run over the wall in left center to tie the score at 2-2. Sophomore Katie Fortune (Kingwood, Texas) kept the offensive output going with a double to left center. Junior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) followed with a bunt single, pushing Fortune to third. Messer then picked up the RBI with a single up the middle, scoring Fortune and moving Lilley to third. Peterson brought in two more runs with a single to deep centerfield. A pair of fly balls to the outfield stopped the hitting barrage.
Purdue padded its lead in the fifth as Hillsey sent a lead-off shot over the left field wall. Lilley also reached base with a two-out single through the left side. She then stole second but was left stranded by a caught foul ball.
A single by freshman Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) drove in another run in the sixth to make it 7-2. Pinch hitter Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) sent a one-out single up the middle, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a ground out moved Zaworski to third, Hall singled up the middle to pick up the RBI. She then stole second and was joined on base by Hillsey, who was walked. Junior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.) sent a pinch hit single back at the pitcher to load the bases, but a pop fly left the trio on base.
Baker struck out the first two Delta Devilettes in the seventh inning, but Holcomb kept the team alive with a double to right field. She then advanced to third on a wild pitch, before a ground ball to the pitcher sealed the Purdue victory.
Five Boilermakers registered multi-hit games as Hillsey, Johnson, Lilley, Messer and Peterson each tallied two hits of the team's 14 hits. Baker (4-2) earned her fourth victory of the season, striking out six in four innings of relief.
Freshman Melissa Burns (Miami, Fla.) struck out three in her first start of the season. Jana Brown was charged with the loss after allowing six runs in four innings of action for Mississippi Valley State.
The Boilermakers (6-2) wrap up the Louisiana Classic at noon Sunday with a rematch against No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette (11-1).