April 24, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermakers bounced back from a Game 1 loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers with a no-doubt solid Game 2 victory. Purdue won the game 9-0 in five innings, including at least one hit by each of the Boilermaker batters, while junior Diana LaRiva tossed a one-hitter.
The Boilermakers flexed their offensive muscles early, racking up four runs on four hits in the opening stanza. Junior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) led off with a single to short. A bunt single by Katie Absher (Puyallup, Wash.) bumped Lilley over to second. Senior Shelli Messer (Greenfield, Ind.) walked to load the bases, spelling the end of the day for Gopher starting pitcher Mandy Valadez. First baseman Rene Konderik took over on the mound, but walked the first batter she faced, Andrea Hillsey (White Lake, Mich.) for the game's first run. Sophomore DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) sent a two-run single up the middle, scoring Absher and Messer and advancing Hillsey into scoring position. Sophomore Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) laid down the sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third with one out. Junior Lauren Devich (Bloomington, Ind.) scored Hillsey with a single to left, before a pop up and ground out ended the rally.
Purdue added two more runs on a pair of hits and an error in the second. Absher reached on a one-out fielding error by the third baseman, she then moved to second as Hillsey walked. Johnson sent a single up the middle for another RBI as Absher came around to score. Peterson scored Hillsey from second with a single that landed just behind first base in short right field. A liner to the second baseman got Minnesota out of the inning.
Minnesota got their first and only hit of the game as Lindsey Erickson sent a two-out single into short center field. A caught foul ball, however, left her stranded.
A double off the center field wall by Hillsey drove in another run in the fourth inning. Absher led off with a single to left, then moved to second on a sacrifice by Messer, before scoring on the Hillsey hit. A ground ball scooted Hillsey to third. She was then joined on base by Peterson who was hit by a pitch. A fly ball to center left both stranded.
Sophomore Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) made it 8-0 with her first ever extra base hit, which came in the form of a solo home run over the wall in left center in the top of the fifth. Junior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.) followed with a double to right, then pinch runner Jamie Dum (Indianapolis, Ind.) moved to third on a one-out single to right by Absher. Minnesota hoped to change things up with a pitching switch, which saw the starter Valadez return to the circle. Dum then scored on a Messer single into short right, which advanced Absher to second. A fielder's choice gave Purdue runners at the corners as Messer was out on the play, which put Hillsey aboard. A grounder to the shortstop ended the inning.
The Gophers came to bat in a now-or-never situation. Down 9-0, the team had to score two runs to avoid a mercy-rule loss. A pair of ground outs and a swinging strikeout sealed the Boilermaker win.
Absher led the Purdue bats with a 3-for-4 outing and three runs, while Johnson went 2-for-4 with three RBI. All nine of the Boilermaker batters tallied a hit in the contest. Purdue scored nine runs on 12 hits, while allowing just one hit to the Gophers.
LaRiva (12-4) struck out three and allowed just one hit in the complete game effort. The one hitter was the fourth of her Boilermaker career. Mandy Valadez (3-5) was charged with the loss after allowing three runs in two-third of an inning of work.
"I challenged our team after game one and I am very proud of the way they responded to it," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "We hit the ball well and put together all three phases of our game, hitting, pitching and defense. This is one of the best defensive games we have played. Diana did what we expected her to do. She is a great place right now. She is hitting her spots well, is in good control and has a great rhythm going."
The Boilermakers return to action at 3 p.m. on Tuesday when they travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., to take on the IPFW Mastodons in a doubleheader.