April 10, 2005
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Boilermakers earned their fourth conference victory of the season with a 9-1 blasting of Illinois in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader. Purdue tallied nine runs on 11 hits, while sophomore Brooke Baker tossed a complete-game one hitter. The team looks to pick up the sweep in Game 2 which begins at 2 p.m.
The Boilermakers loaded the bases to open the game, but could not convert the runners into tallies on the scoreboard. Junior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.) started things off with a one-out single up the middle. Senior Andrea Hillsey (White Lake, Mich.) was then hit by a pitch, moving Falzon to second. A fly ball to right advanced both runners into scoring position. The Illini then intentionally walked sophomore DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) to fill the bases. A fly ball to center kept Purdue off the scoreboard.
After a 1-2-3 inning by the Illini, the Purdue bats continued to produce. Sophomore Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) singled through the right side to open the inning. Junior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.) followed with a double to the center field wall, moving Zaworski to third. Senior Katie Absher (Puyallup, Wash.) reached on a bunt single to load the bases, prompting an Illinois pitching change. Facing her first batter, Claire DeVreese threw a wild pitch advancing the runners, but the catcher tagged Zaworski at the plate to keep her from scoring. With two runners in scoring position, senior Shelli Messer (Greenfield, Ill.) made good on the RBI opportunity with a single over the first baseman's head into right field, scoring both. Messer moved around the base paths on a passed ball and wild pitch, then scored on a Hillsey single to second base. Junior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) slid into first for a single to the shortstop, then Johnson walked to load the bases. A fly ball to right prevented further damage for the Illini.
The Boilermakers tacked off six runs in the fourth, off three hits and two Illinois errors. Falzon started the inning with a single to center. Hillsey then reached on a dropped fly ball to center, moving Falzon to second. A fielding error by the third baseman put Lilley aboard, while advancing Hillsey to third and scoring Falzon. A passed ball on strike three put Johnson on base and scored Hillsey. Peterson reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Zaworski picked up the RBI with a four-pitch walk. Junior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.) singled down the right field line to drive in Johnson. Redshirt junior Kristen Schell (San Diego, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice as the Illini put out Peterson at home. Absher reentered the game to run for Schell, then Messer singled to third base to score Zaworski from third. Hillsey drew a two-out walk, to drive in Stone, before a pop up ended the rally.
Rachel Coriddi ended pitcher Brooke Baker's perfect game effort with a bunt single to open the fourth. Coriddi then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. A ground ball to second base, scored her to end the shutout bid. Baker struck the next batter out looking to get out of the inning.
Both teams went down in order in the fifth to seal the Purdue mercy rule victory.
Four Purdue players registered multi-hit days as Messer, Falzon, Zaworski and Stone each accounted for two hits. Stone went 2-for-2 with a double, while Messer tallied three RBI. Seven different Boilermakers recorded a hit in the contest.
Baker (Schererville, Ind.) struck out six while allowing just one hit in the game, moving her record to 13-9 on the season. The one-hitter is the fourth of Baker's career and second of the season. Mary Miller was charged with the loss after giving up five runs in three innings of work.