April 7, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State Spartans issued the Purdue softball team an 8-2 loss at Old College Field on Friday afternoon. The Boilermakers look to rebound in Game 2 of the series at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The Boilermakers utilized a pair of squeeze bunts for runs in the opening stanza. Purdue loaded the bases on a double, a hit by pitch, a double steal and a walk, before plating the runs on back-to-back sacrifices. Freshman Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) picked up the first RBI as senior Staci Falzon (Carlsbad, Calif.) slid under the tag at home on the fielder's choice. Senior Tricia Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) scored the following play on sacrifice by junior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.).
The Spartans tied it up the bottom of the first on a double to center by Meghan Darhower. The hit followed a walk and an error. Boilermaker pitcher Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) then worked out of a bases loaded jam with a lineout and a strikeout.
Purdue filled the bases again in the second on a hit, an error and a fielder's choice, but could not score.
A two-out grand slam by Dana Rosenblatt put MSU up 6-2 after three.
The Boilermakers threatened in the fifth, putting runners at first and second with a single and a hit by pitch, but two strikeouts and a runner caught stealing ended the inning.
The Purdue defense held off a charge by the Spartans in the bottom of the stanza, nullifying a bases loaded rally with two fielder's choice outs at the plate and a ground ball.
Michigan State tacked on two more runs on three hits and an error in the sixth. Doubles by Darhower and Caitlin Mahoney accounted for the two runs.
Lilley kept hope alive with a two-out single up the middle in the seventh, but a ground out sealed the Spartan win.
Purdue scored two runs on five hits, including two by senior Becky Stone (Belleville, Ill.), while MSU posted eight runs on 13 hits.
Rachel Turney (11-5) earned the complete game victory for MSU, while Baker (12-10) was saddled with the loss for Purdue, despite striking out three in the effort.
The teams will face off again at 1 p.m. Saturday.