April 30, 2006
MINNEAPOLIS - A two-run seventh inning sealed the Boilermaker softball team's sweep of Minnesota in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader. Senior Becky Stone drew a two-out walk with the bases loaded in the seventh to capture the 4-3 win for Purdue. Sophomore pitcher Melissa Burns earned the complete game victory.
"It was nice to be able to get the games in," head coach Kim Maher said. "This puts us in a better position to determine where we want to be in the Big Ten. It is now up to us to see how bad we want it."
The Gophers scored first in the night cap, using a squeeze bunt to plate a run in the second inning.
The Boilermakers posted their first hit of the game in the bottom of the third as senior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.) sent a one-out single up the middle. A sacrifice moved her to second, where she was left stranded by a ground out.
Junior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) singled through the right side with a runner on second and two outs in the fourth to tie the score. The single scored pinch runner Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.), who was running for senior Kristen Schell (San Diego, Calif.) who hit a one-out single through the left side. Peterson also marked the third out of the inning, as she was caught away from the first base bag after rounding towards second.
Minnesota added another run in the fifth on a two-out double by Lindsey Erickson.
The Boilermakers countered in the bottom of the inning as junior DaQueta Johnson drew a bases-loaded two-out walk. Falzon started the rally with a two-out single to left. Sophomore Tiffany Krcelich (Granger, Ind.) followed with an infield single. Falzon went to third on the play as the shortstop overthrew first base. Senior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) walked to juice the bases for Johnson. A ground out left three stranded.
The Gophers regained the lead on a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The fly ball to deep center scored Megan Higginbotham, who doubled to center to start the inning.
Purdue pushed two runs across in the seventh on three hits and two walks. Falzon started things off with a one-out double to left center. Krcelich followed with an infield single. Lilley tied the game with a single through the right side, scoring Falzon. The Gophers then intentionally walked Johnson. A fielder's choice saw Krcelich out at the plate, before senior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.) drew a five-pitch walk to seal the victory.
The Boilermakers scored four runs on eight hits, including a 3-for-3 outing by Falzon and a pair of hits by Krcelich. Minnesota managed three runs on six hits.
Sophomore Melissa Burns (Miami, Fla.) earned struck out three Gophers in the complete game victory to move to 6-2 on the season. Reliever Rene Konderik (3-3) was charged with the loss after allowing two runs in two innings of relief.
The Boilermakers (30-28, 7-10 Big Ten) return to action on Saturday, May 6, when they take on the Indiana Hoosiers (26-22-1, 6-9 Big Ten) at 1 p.m. in Bloomington, Ind.