April 23, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Senior Becky Stone launched her first career home run as part of a four run, 12 hit effort as the Purdue softball team edged Wisconsin 4-3 in the nightcap of Sunday's doubleheader. Sophomore Melissa Burns took care of business in the pitching circle, sitting down 13 Badger batters via strikeout, fourth most in program history, while allowing just three hits.
The Badgers put up a run on a hit, a walk and a sacrifice in the bottom of the first to open scoring in the game. Samantha Polito drew a lead-off walk, went to second on a sacrifice then scored on a Joey Daniels single to right.
Senior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.) tied it up with a single swing of the bat in the third, leading off the stanza with her first career home run, a shot over the right field wall.
The Boilermakers added another run on three hits in the fourth. Sophomore Tiffany Krcelich (Granger, Ind.) led off with a bunt single, then went to third as senior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) doubled to right center. Senior Kristen Schell (San Diego, Calif.) sent a one-out single through the left side, plating Krcelich. Lilley was called out at the plate trying to score on the play.
Wisconsin put two on in the fourth, but to no avail.
Purdue tacked on another insurance run in sixth, scoring one run on four hits and a Badger error. Senior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.) led off with a single to left, then went to second on a fielding error by the left fielder. A ground out pushed her to third, before a single down the right field line by Lilley drove her in. Lilley was called out trying to stretch the hit into a double. Junior DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) singled and Schell followed, giving Purdue two on with two out, but a fielder's choice kept the Boilermakers from adding to its lead.
Freshman Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) made it 4-1 with a solo home run over the left field wall in the top of the seventh, giving the Boilermakers what turned out to be the game-winning run.
The Badgers did not go down easy, however, as they combined a lead-off walk with a home run by Theresa Boruta to make it 4-3 with two outs in the seventh. A foul out to the left fielder marked the final out in the game.
Purdue scored four runs on 12 hits, including multiple hit days by Falzon, Krcelich, Lilley and Schell. Wisconsin put up three runs on three hits in the contest.
Burns (Miami, Fla.) struck out 13 batters in the complete game victory to move to 4-2 on the season. The 13 Ks marked the fourth-highest single game total by a Boilermaker pitcher in program history. Eden Brock, who threw all seven innings of Game 1 of the doubleheader, finished the day with a complete-game loss in Game 2.
The Boilermakers (27-27, 5-10 Big Ten) return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to South Bend, Ind., for a 4 p.m. doubleheader against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.