April 11, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - It took eight innings, but the Boilermaker softball team was finally able to dispatch the Loyola Ramblers in Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader. Purdue won the game 2-1.
The Boilermakers tallied two hits in the second as juniors DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) and Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) posted singles, but could not score. Johnson singled again in the fourth to no avail.
Loyola threatened in the fifth, putting its first runner in scoring position as Kaycee Tharp and Trish Oberhaus singled, but could not break onto the scoreboard.
Senior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.) walked and was sacrificed to second in the sixth, but was left stranded by a pair of strikeouts.
Katerina Krause led off the seventh with a double to left, but was out the next play as heads up defense by the Boilermakers caught her away from the base on a foul fly ball.
Purdue went down in order in the seventh sending the game to extra stanzas.
Lindsay O'Gean was placed on second to start the eighth inning for the Ramblers under the international tie breaker rule. Loyola sacrificed her over to third before a single to left center by Oberhaus drove in the run. Another single put runners at first and second, but a strike out and foul out brought Purdue to the plate.
Pinch runner Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) was placed on second to begin the bottom half of the eighth. She was sacrificed over to third by senior Lauren Devich (Bloomington, Ind.). Senior Kristen Schell laid down a pinch hit squeeze bunt, sending Zaworski home. Falzon doubled to left, then went to third on a single to short by sophomore Tiffany Krcelich (Granger, Ind.). The shortstop's throw to first was off the mark, allowing Falzon to score from third on the play sealing the Purdue win.
The Boilermakers scored two runs on five hits, including a 2-for-3 performance by Johnson.
Senior Diana LaRiva (Tustin, Calif.) earned the complete-game victory, striking out five in the eight-inning effort. Laura DeLeon (5-9) was tabbed with the loss for the Ramblers.
The teams will battle it out again in the night cap of the doubleheader set to begin at 4:15 p.m.