May 7, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team clinched its ticket to the Big Ten Tournament with a 5-0 Senior Day win over instate rival Indiana on Saturday afternoon. Purdue used a sixth-inning surge to down the Hoosiers, while sophomore Brooke Baker pitched her fourth shutout of the season.
The Boilermakers got the first base runner of the game as senior Andrea Hillsey reached on a fielding error by the shortstop with two outs. A strike out, however left her stranded.
An error gave Indiana its first base runner as Janetta Deaven reached on an errant throw by the shortstop with two outs in the second. A grounder to the pitcher nullified the runner.
Junior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.) tallied the first hit of the game, pushing a one-out single through the left side in the bottom of the inning. A fly ball accounted for the inning's second out and Falzon was called out for leaving first early trying to steal.
Heather Hohs sent a one-out double into left field, then advanced to third on a grounder. Purdue got out of the third inning unscathed as the left fielder Falzon made a sliding grab in foul territory.
Senior Shelli Messer (Greenfield, Ind.) gave the Boilermakers a base runner in their half of the third, drawing a two-out walk, but called out stealing second to end the stanza.
Lauren Hines reached on an error to lead off the fourth, but the next batter grounded into a double play that went from the second baseman to the shortstop and over to first. A grounder ended the inning.
Deaven doubled to center to lead off the fifth and moved to second on a wild pitch with two outs, but Baker caught the next batter looking to keep the shutout in tact.
Purdue put its lead off batter on in the bottom of the inning as sophomore DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) was hit by a pitch. Falzon reached on an infield single, advancing pinch runner Tiffany Krcelich (Granger, Ind.) to second. A ground out to the second baseman put both runners in scoring position. Junior Lauren Devich then reached as the shortstop dropped a fly ball in short center field. Falzon moved to third on the play, but Krcelich was called out at the plate. Devich stole second, putting runners at second and third, but a ground out kept Purdue from capitalizing.
The Hoosiers put two on in the sixth, but could not score. Kim Richards singled up the middle, then stole second, before Hines joined her on base with a one-out walk. A fly out and strike out kept the shutout going.
The Boilermaker bats came alive in the sixth as the team scored five runs on four hits and an error. Senior Katie Absher (Puyallup, Wash.) drew a one-out walk. Hillsey reached on a fielder's choice, which saw the third baseman send the throw to second into short center field, allowing Absher to advance safely. The play prompted a Hoosier pitching change as Megan Roark took over for Mariangee Bogado in the circle. The change did not affect the batter, junior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio), who singled up the middle and moved to second as Absher beat the throw home to put Purdue on the board. With runners at second and third, Johnson picked up an RBI with a grounder to third base, which scored Hillsey, tying her for the school record in career runs scored. A Falzon double to right center drove in Lilley from second. Sophomore Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) singled up the middle to drive in Falzon to make it 4-0. Junior Lauren Devich (Bloomington, Ind.) tacked on another run with a double to left field, that scored pinch runner Jamie Dum (Indianapolis, Ind.). Devich slid into third on the play, but was unable to score as a strikeout left her stranded.
Indiana managed to get a base runner as Deaven picked up a lead-off walk to keep hope alive for the Hoosiers. The walk for all for naught as a strikeout, Baker's seventh of the game, a fly out and a grounder to short sealed the Purdue win.
Falzon led the Purdue bats with a 3-for-3 day at the plate, including one run and one RBI. Lilley, Peterson and Devich each added a hit as the Boilermakers scored five runs on six hits and three Hoosier miscues. Indiana tallied three hits in the game.
Baker (15-14) earned the complete-game victory for Purdue, striking out seven in the effort. Bogado (2-9) was charged with the loss, despite not allowing an earned run on her watch.
The Boilermakers will look to finish the conference season on a positive note, with a win in Bloomington on Sunday. A victory would give the team a sweep of the Hoosiers for the first time since the 2002 season, while pushing Purdue's conference record to 10-10, marking the most conference wins for the team since the 1997 season.