March 5, 2006
FULLERTON, Calif. - It took eight innings, but the Boilermaker softball team posted its first win of the Worth Invitational with a 5-3 win over UC Santa Barbara on Sunday. Purdue tallied five runs on five hits, including two in the eighth inning, en route to the victory.
Purdue jumped on the scoreboard early as junior DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) launched a three-run home run over the right field fence with one out in the opening stanza. Johnson's long ball drove in sophomore Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.), who was on second after a fielder's choice and wild pitch, and senior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio), who was hit by a pitch. Senior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.) followed with a single up the middle, but the next batter grounded into a double play to end the inning.
UCSB answered with a single run on two hits in the second. Pitcher Jennifer Davis helped her own cause with an RBI single up the middle, driving in Brittany Putich from third. Putich doubled to right and advanced to third on the throw home which initially kept the Gauchos off the scoreboard.
The Gauchos put runners in scoring position in both the third and fourth, but could not score.
The Boilermakers threatened again in the sixth as Hall walked then moved to third on a sacrifice and a ground ball. A pop up, however, left her stranded in scoring position.
UCSB tied the game on a two-run double by Liz Walters in the sixth inning. Walters' hit to left center drove in Ericka Hansen, who walked, and Davis, who singled. Both runners were in scoring position after a wild pitch. A single by Danielle Meyers put runners on the corners, prompting a Purdue pitching change. Senior Diana LaRiva (Tustin, Calif.) entered the game and got the next batter to fly out to left to prevent further damage.
Junior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) drew a one-out walk and was sacrificed to second in the seventh inning, but a ground ball to the shortstop kept the score tied at 3-3.
The Gauchos put two runners on via walk in the bottom of the inning, but could not score sending the game to extra innings.
Sophomore Tiffany Krcelich (Granger, Ind.) was placed on second to begin the eighth inning due to international tie breaker rules. Krcelich moved to third on a sacrifice by senior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.), then scored on a sacrifice fly by Hall. The Boilermakers tacked on another run as Lilley singled up the middle to drive in Falzon, who reached on the sacrifice due to a fielding error by the catcher, from second. Lilley went to third on a ground ball to short, but was left stranded by a line drive to the third baseman.
Putich was placed on second for UCSB in the bottom of the inning. A walk gave the Gauchos a second base runner, but a strikeout and two fly outs sealed the victory for Purdue.
The Boilermakers scored five runs on five hits, while UC Santa Barbara managed three runs on eight hits.
LaRiva (4-3) earned the win after striking out two and not allowing a hit in two innings of relief. Jennifer Davis (6-5) was charged with the loss after tossing the complete game for UCSB.
Purdue (9-9) returns to action at 2 p.m. (PST) when the team takes on the host Cal State Fullerton Titans to wrap up its stay at the Worth Invitational.