April 3, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team picked up its first conference-opening sweep since 1996 with a 7-2 victory over Michigan State in Game 2 of Sunday's twin bill. Seven different Purdue batters tallied hits in the win, including junior Lauren Devich, who went 3-for-3 at the plate. Freshman Melissa Burns earned the win after tossing three innings of relief.
Junior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.) tallied the game's first hit with a one-out triple to center in the first inning. Sophomore DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) drew a two-out walk to join Falzon aboard, but a strikeout kept the Boilermakers from capitalizing.
Purdue put another runner on base in the second as Devich (Bloomington, Ind.) put a two-out single through the right side. A ground ball kept pinch runner Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) from making around to score.
Michigan State put its first runner aboard with a one-out walk by Victoria Morache in the bottom of the inning. A sacrifice moved her to second, but catcher Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) caught her trying to steal third for the last out of the stanza.
Senior Shelli Messer (Greenfield, Ind.) sent a lead off single into right field to start the third inning. A sacrifice moved her to second, but a ground out and strike out left her stranded.
The Spartans tallied another hit in the third as Nikki Nicosia hit a two-out single into center field. Her sister Traci Nicosia, however, struck out to end the inning.
The Boilermakers scored first with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Junior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) led off with a double to left center, then moved to third on a sacrifice by Peterson. Sophomore Katie Fortune (Kingwood, Texas) laid down a squeeze bunt, which scored Lilley. Pinch runner Jamie Dum (Indianapolis, Ind.) then scored on a two-out double to center by senior Katie Absher (Puyallup, Wash.). A pop up ended the rally.
MSU tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs on two hits in the bottom of the inning. Dayna Feenstra started things off with a one-out double into left center. Pinch runner Heidi Charon moved to second as Elizabeth Peterson was hit by a pitch. A Nicole Mercado triple to left center scored both runners. Pinch hitter Dana Rosenblatt was then hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners, prompting a pitching change for the Boilermakers. Freshman Melissa Burns (Miami, Fla.) relieved junior Diana LaRiva (Tustin, Calif.) and got the next batter to ground out to end the inning.
Purdue regained the lead by putting a four-spot on the board in the fifth. The four run, three-hit rally began as Falzon put a lead-off single into left field. With two outs, Lilley was hit by a pitch, then Peterson walked to load the bases. Fortune was then hit by a pitch to drive in Falzon from third. Devich followed with an infield single, which scored Lilley from third. With the bases juiced, pinch hitter Kristen Schell (San Diego, Calif.) sent a two-run single up the middle. A fly out left two runners stranded. Michigan State threatened in the fifth, but could not convert. Nikki Nicosia singled down the left field line, but was out at second on a Mercado fielder's choice. Janette Hurtado walked, before a line out and ground out wrapped up the stanza.
A Morache single was nullified by a pair of fielder's choices and a foul out in the sixth.
The Boilermakers tacked on an insurance run in the seventh on a pair of hits. Peterson started the inning with a double to right center. Pinch runner Tiffany Krcelich (Granger, Ind.) moved to third on a ground out and scored as Devich singled through the left side. A line out brought the Spartans to bat one last time.
Nikki Nicosia started the inning with a bunt single, but was out on the following play as Traci Nicosia reached on a fielder's choice. Feenstra then sent a two-out single into right center, moving Nikki to third. A swinging strikeout, however, spelled the end of the game and punctuated the Boilermaker sweep.
"It was an outstanding team effort in both games today," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "All three of our pitchers, our batters throughout the lineup and our fielders all played well. We have been hitting well all week. We got some key two-out hits early on and we just kept building from there. We have been concentrating on not going down looking and making sure we are scoring early and often. You can't relax for one minute in the Big Ten and we were in attack mode all day."
Purdue tallied seven runs on 10 hits, including three by Devich and two by Falzon.
Burns (5-2) earned the victory after striking out one and holding the Spartans scoreless for the game's final three innings. LaRiva struck out five in the opening 3.2 innings of the contest. Rachel Turney (7-10) was saddled with the loss for MSU.
The Boilermakers return to the field on Wednesday, when they take on Butler in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.