Feb. 25, 2007
MIAMI - The Boilermaker softball team lost an eight-inning heartbreaker to Texas State on Sunday. The Bobcats won the game 2-1.
Purdue scored first as sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.) sent a two-out pitch sailing over the wall in left center for the second home run of her career.
Texas State countered with a two-out home run by Chelsea Giroux in the bottom of the inning.
The Boilermakers threatened in the third as freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho) singled, stole second and went to third on a ground ball. Another ground out kept the team from scoring.
The Bobcats loaded the bases in the third, but also could not convert the runners into tallies on the scoreboard.
Senior DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) gave the Boilermakers another RBI opportunity in the fourth as she singled up the middle. Pinch runner Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) was sacrificed over to second, but was left stranded by a fly ball.
Sophomore Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) drew a one-out walk in the sixth and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Zaworski, but could not score.
Texas State put two on in the bottom of the inning, but a fielder's choice and fly out kept the game tied at 1-1.
A double by Amy Krueger gave the Bobcats a runner in the bottom of the seventh, but a strikeout sent the game to extra innings.
The Boilermakers went down in order in the eighth, opening the door for Texas State.
Due to the international tie breaker rule, pinch runner Haley Koop was placed on second to start the bottom half of the inning. Koop went to third on a Ali McCormack bunt. A walk loaded the bases for Tamara Keller. A 2-2 pitch hit Keller in the foot allowing the winning run to score.
Purdue scored one run on four hits, while Texas State scored two runs on 10 hits. Ragan Blake earned the complete game victory for the Bobcats, while sophomore Ashley DiDomenico (Youngstown, Ohio) was saddled with the loss for the Boilermakers.
The Boilermakers return to action on Friday when they take on Wright State at the Buzz Classic in Atlanta, Ga.