March 10, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - The Boilermaker softball team could not overcome the bats of the BYU Cougars Saturday morning, falling 8-2 to begin Day 3 of the Bulldog Classic.
The Cougars drew first blood with a run on two hits and an error in the opening stanza. With a runner on first and two outs, Emi Snow singled through the left side. The runner went to third on the play, before scoring on a throwing error by the second baseman.
The Boilermakers responded with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) put Purdue on the board with a two-run triple into the left field corner. The three-bagger plated junior Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) and sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.). Hall drew a lead off walk and went to second on a sacrifice. Curtis hit a high fly ball to right center, good for a double, pushing Hall to third to set the table for Mitchell. A pair of strikeouts kept Purdue from plating Mitchell.
BYU racked up five runs on six hits in the third to regain the lead. With runners at the corners, Snow singled up the left line to tie the score. A single to right by Dani Urincho loaded the bases for Jodi Norton, who delivered with a grand slam to left center. A strikeout and ground out got Purdue out of the inning.
Purdue put two runners in scoring position in the fourth, but could not drive them in. Freshman Kelsey Haupert (Olympia, Wash.) drew a one-out walk, then went to second on a single to right by senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.). A sacrifice by senior Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) advanced them into scoring position, but a ground ball to short kept the Boilermakers from scoring.
The Cougars made it 7-2 with a run on two base hits in the fifth. A single by Tracee Hoch plated the run.
Hall and freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho) posted a pair of one-out singled in the fifth, but the next batter grounded into a double play to wrap up the stanza.
BYU tacked on another insurance run on two hits and an error in the seventh. Norton singled and went to third on the play on a fielding error by the right fielder. She scored the following play on an Andrea Ramirez single to right.
The Boilermakers went down in order to end the game.
Purdue managed two runs on five hits, while allowing BYU eight runs on 15 hits and three errors. Five different players accounted for the Boilermaker hits.
Christina Gwyn (7-4) earned the victory for the Cougars, while senior Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) struck out five in the losing effort for Purdue.
The Boilermakers return to action at 7 p.m. (PST) when they take on the host Fresno State Bulldogs.