March 3, 2007
WOODSTOCK, Ga. - A seventh-inning rally was not enough to lift the Boilermaker softball team over Winthrop Saturday night. The Eagles won the game 8-4 after overcoming an early 2-0 deficit.
Junior Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) went 4-for-4 with two RBI and a run to lead the Boilermakers, as the team posted four runs on nine hits. Sophomore Kelly Miller (Indianapolis, Ind.) went 2-for-3 in the contest. Winthrop scored eight runs on 12 hits in the game.
Senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) put Purdue on the board with a second-inning double. The hit drove in senior DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.), who singled and went to second on a sacrifice. A ground out moved Peterson to third, but she was unable to score.
Hall rolled a single up the middle, splitting the pitcher and second baseman, to give Purdue a base runner in the third. She then stole second and advanced to third on a ground out, before scoring on a double to right by sophomore Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.).
Winthrop broke onto the scoreboard with a run on three hits in the bottom of the inning. Mallory Hogan led off with a double to left center and went to third on a Tessa Thomas single. Lisa Kingsmore drove in the run with a single to left.
The Eagles tied the score in the fourth with a pair of doubles.
The Boilermakers regained the lead with a run in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Christina Trauger (Santa Rosa, Calif.) was hit by a pitch, then went to second on a seeing-eye bunt single by Miller. Hall pushed the run across with a single down the left field line. A sacrifice moved Miller and Hall into scoring position, but a foul out and strike out kept Purdue from adding to its lead.
Winthrop broke the game open with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth. Tessa Thomas launched a two-run home run and Jenny Scrymgeour followed with a three-run shot to put the Eagles up 7-3.
The Eagles added an insurance run on a Stephanie Reid triple in the sixth.
The Boilermakers manufactured a rally in the top of the seventh, but could not overcome the deficit. Miller hit a one-out single to third base, then stole second. Hall picked up the RBI with a single down the left field line, but a pair of strikeouts cut short the Purdue comeback.
Izzy Trottier picked up the win for the Eagles after tossing four innings in relief of Cari Wooldridge. Sophomore Ashley DiDomenico (Youngtown, Ohio) was saddled with the loss after throwing four-plus innings for Purdue. Freshman Sarah Grams (Trail Creek, Ind.) also saw time in the circle for the Boilermakers.
The Boilermakers return to action on Friday when they take on Toledo at the Bulldog Classic in Fresno, Calif.