April 10, 2005
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - After a short first game, the Boilermakers and Illini gave fans their money's worth with a nine inning offensive battle. In the end, the Purdue fans went home happy as a ninth-inning squeeze bunt by senior Katie Absher gave the team an 8-7 victory. The win moved Purdue to 28-13 on the year, including a 5-1 mark in the Big Ten, their best conference start since kicking off the 1996 conference season 6-1.
"What a great day for the Boilermakers," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "In the first game, Brooke Baker was absolutely dominant, giving up only a bunt single. Our defense played well and our offense just kept hitting ball. An hour and a half later we had won 9-1.
"Game 2 was a totally different story and more what I had predicted. Going into the day we talked about having to outscore them. Their strength is their offense; they are fast and hit for power and for average. We knew we had to keep battling to beat them. So many players stepped up, Brooke and Diana LaRiva were great and gave us what we needed. Kristen Schell's pinch hit three-run home run was huge. And obviously the way we ended the game was great. Caz (Catherine Zaworski) got on and used her speed. We had to catch them off guard with two outs and had to make something happen. We just battled and pulled it out."
Purdue jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first with one run on two hits. Senior Shelli Messer (Greenfield, Ind.) was hit by a pitch to open the inning. She then moved to second on a one-out single to left by senior Andrea Hillsey (White Lake, Mich.). A single to left center by junior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) loaded the bases for sophomore DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.). Johnson picked up the RBI with a ground out, which scored Messer from third. A pop up left two stranded.
Shanna Diller tallied Illinois' first hit of the game with a double that broke through the wind screen on the fence in right. She moved to second on a fly ball, before a strikeout ended the inning.
The Boilermakers put a runner on in the second, but could not convert her into a tally on the scoreboard. Sophomore Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) walked then advanced to second on a sacrifice by junior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.). A pair of grounders kept her from scoring.
A single to the pitcher put Molly Lawhead aboard for Illinois in the third. A sacrifice moved her to second, but a fly ball and a ground out wrapped up the stanza.
Purdue continued its pitching by committee mentality, replacing starter Diana LaRiva (Tustin, Calif.) with freshman Melissa Burns (Miami, Fla.) to start the fourth inning. A walk put Jenna Hall on first base. After a pair of swinging strikeouts, pinch runner Elene Planinsek scored on a Julie Balicki triple to dead center field. The Illini took the lead as Balicki scored on a Laura Zobrist single to left center. A double to center by Lawhead drove in Zobrist. Sophomore Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) entered the game A pinch hit single by Leigh Farina scored Lawhead to make it 4-1 Illinois, before a ground out ended the rally.
The Boilermakers tied it up with one swing of the bat in the fourth inning. Sophomore Erika Peterson singled up the middle with one out, then moved to second on a Zaworski single to third base. Redshirt junior Kristen Schell (San Diego, Calif.) made it a tie game with a three-run shot off the scoreboard in left center. Messer followed that with a doubled to center, then scored on a double to left center by junior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.). Falzon crossed the plate on a Hillsey single to right center. A Lilley single to right moved Hillsey to third, before a ground ball ended the inning.
Illinois tied it up with a home run of its own in the fifth. Hall singled up the middle, then scored on a two-run shot off the scoreboard by Shanna Diller. Jackelyn Diekemper singled to first base, then moved to second on a Zobrist single to third base. A strikeout got Purdue out of the inning.
Peterson singled to lead off the fifth, then moved to second on a bunt single by Zaworski. A ground ball advanced both runners into scoring position. Senior Katie Absher (Puyallup, Wash.) walked to load the bases. Falzon drew a two-out walk to push Peterson across the plate and regain the lead for the Boilermakers. A fly ball left three ducks on the pond.
Both teams went down in order in the sixth inning, bring Illinois to the plate. Jenna Hall led off the inning with a solo home run off the scoreboard in left center to tie the game. Diller walked, prompting another Boilermaker pitching switch. LaRiva reentered the game to face Diekemper, who singled up the middle. A pop up and two strikeouts, however, got Purdue out of the inning.
The Boilermakers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings.
Hillsey sent a two-out double up the right field line to putting the potential winning run on base for Purdue. The Illini then intentionally walked Lilley to put two on. A wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position, but a strikeout left both stranded and sent the game into the ninth inning.
Illinois got a baserunner in the top of the inning on a Julie Balicki double off the right center wall. Zobrist then sent a single into center field, but center fielder Katie Absher lasered a throw home to catch Balicki trying to score. Zobrist moved to second on the throw. A ground ball kept the Illini off the scoreboard.
Zaworski drew a lead-off walk to kick off the bottom of the ninth. Stone sacrificed her over to second, then Zaworski stole third. Absher laid down a perfect squeeze bunt and Zaworski crossed the plate unnoticed for the win.
"I was a little surprised, that their third baseman was playing back so far," Absher said. "I hadn't hit ball hard all day. They were way back, Coach B called it and I agreed and got it down. She gave we a pitch right in there and I was able to get it down. We knew coming into Illinois that their strength was their offense. We were prepared to score a lot and it happened. We outscored them, that is all that mattered."
The Boilermakers return to action at 2 p.m. on Tuesday when they take on Notre Dame in a double header.