April 30, 2005
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Boilermaker softball team managed one run on four hits against Penn State, but it was not enough to overtake the Nittany Lions, who won the contest 7-1. Purdue looks to rebound from the sweep against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday. The doubleheader is slated to begin at noon EST.
Jen Acunto scored the game's first run after reaching on a lead-off single to right. A Jen Williams single moved her to second, before an error the shortstop scooted her over to third. A fielder's choice by Hollee Haines drove in the run. Haines took second as Williams tried to score but was caught stealing with a throw to the shortstop and back home. A walk put Leigh Murray on base with Haines, before Jenn Reynolds launched a three-run shot over the left center wall. A ground ball got Purdue out of the inning.
Senior Katie Absher (Puyallup, Wash.) reached on a one-out bunt single in the bottom of the inning. A grounder to short resulted in a fielder's choice that put senior Andrea Hillsey (White Lake, Mich.) on base. A caught foul ball left Hillsey stranded.
A close play at first on an infield single put Katie Stauffer on base, but the Purdue defense responded with a strikeout, a liner to third. Williams then drew a two-out free pass, which came back to haunt the Boilermakers as Ashley Esparza lined a double into deep right field, driving in pinch runner Kari Lucas, who had come in to run for Stauffer. A ground out left two stranded and prevented further damage.
Junior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.) reached on a fielding error by the second baseman in the third inning, but a liner to the center fielder and a strikeout kept pinch runner Jamie Dum (Indianapolis, Ind.) from scoring.
After two 1-2-3 innings for Penn State, the Nittany Lions managed to load the bases with no outs in the fifth. Williams drew a lead-off walk, then moved to third on an Esparza double to right center. Haines walked to fill the bases, prompting a Purdue pitching change. Freshman Melissa Burns (Miami, Fla.) replaced sophomore Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) in the circle. Burns struck out the next batter but in a much-discussed call, the runner at third, Williams was allowed to score on the play. When the dust settled, the run and strike out both counted. Another strikeout followed before Destinie Chavez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A grounder back to the pitcher got Purdue out of the inning.
Penn State put two on with two outs in the sixth. Williams singled to short center field, then Esparza followed with a single towards second base. Haines singled to center to drive in Williams and advance Esparza to second. A strikeout left two stranded.
Stone doubled through the left side to give Purdue its second hit of the game in the sixth. Hillsey repeated the effort with a two-out double to left center to get the Boilermakers on the scoreboard. Junior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) singled up the middle then advanced on the throw home as Hillsey moved to third. The hit prompted a change on the mound for Penn State as Missy Beseres entered the game for Esparza. The change worked as Beseres got the next batter to pop up to get out of the inning.
The Purdue batters went down in order in the seventh to seal the Nittany Lion win.
Purdue scored one run on four hits in the game as Absher, Hillsey, Lilley and Stone each tallied one. Penn State scored seven runs on nine hits.
Ashley Esparza (12-4) earned the victory for PSU, while sophomore Brooke Baker (13-14) was charged with the loss despite striking two in four innings of work. Burns struck out three in three innings of relief.
The Boilermakers (31-21-1, 7-9 Big Ten) return to action at noon on Sunday, when they take on Ohio State in a double header.