March 23, 2007
OXFORD, Ohio - After a four hour and nine minute game, including an hour and a half rain delay, the Boilermaker softball team played Miami (Ohio) to a 3-3 draw. The game ventured into the eighth inning, but a second storm came through town in the bottom of the inning, forcing umpires to call the contest.
Purdue managed three runs on seven hits, including home runs by sophomore Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) and senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.). Peterson and freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho) each posted 2-for-3 efforts.
Sophomore Ashley DiDomenico (Youngstown, Ohio) tossed three innings for the Boilermakers, while senior Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) threw the final four plus. Shalise Lugo and Meredith Linch split pitching duties for the Redhawks.
Barr tallied the first hit of the game with a one-out single up the middle in the opening stanza. Sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.) sacrificed her over to second, but the Redhawks got out of the inning as Barr was put out trying to reach third on the play.
Alicia Hogl gave Miami a base runner with a single to lead off the home half of the inning, but was left stranded.
The Redhawks threatened in the second as Briana Burke posted a lead-off double. A caught foul ball in the outfield moved her to third, but a fly out to right kept the shutout in tact.
The Boilermakers put runners at the corners with two outs in the third, but could not convert them into scores. Senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) led off with a single to right center, was sacrificed to second and went to third on a single up the middle by junior Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) setting up a Purdue scoring opportunity. A strikeout got Miami out of the inning unscathed.
Miami broke through with a run on three hits in the bottom of the inning. Hogl doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch, before scoring on a two-out single by Leslie Macedo. The Redhawks left two in scoring position as a strikeout ended the inning.
The Redhawks added another run on a hit and an error in the fourth. A single, Miami's sixth hit of the game, put Sarah Billstrom aboard to start the inning, prompting a Purdue pitching change. Senior Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) took over in the circle before a sacrifice and stolen base moved Billstrom to third with two outs. A fielding error by the first baseman allowed the run to score. A caught foul ball prevented further damage.
Senior Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) registered a two-out infield single in the field, but the Boilermakers could not bring her home.
As the Boilermaker defense took the field in the middle of the fifth, umpires put the game in rain delay. An hourly and 20 minutes later, play resumed.
Barr drew a one-out walk in the sixth and was sacrificed to second, but Purdue could not score.
After holding Miami in the bottom of the sixth, the Boilermakers came to the plate with hopes of a comeback. Pinch hitter Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) and Peterson put that within reach as they tied the score on back-to-back swings. Mitchell sent a 2-2 pitch towering over the left field wall. Peterson followed with a home run off the scoreboard in right center. The dingers prompted a Redhawk pitching change as Shalise Lugo exited the game in favor of Meredith Linch. Sophomore Christina Trauger (Santa Rosa, Calif.) drew a one-out walk to put the potential winning run on base for Purdue. A pair of fielder's choice plays gave the Boilermakers runners at first and second with two outs. Barr came through with a single to short. Miller scored on the play as the shortstop's late throw to first sailed high.
Hogl tied the game at 3-3 with a lead off home run to center in the bottom of the seventh.
With the international tiebreaker in effect, Purdue gained a 5-3 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, but Miami answered with a single run in the bottom half of the eighth. The game was then called with one out and a runner on third base and Miami trailing, 5-4.
The Boilermakers (14-21-1) return to action at 10 a.m. Saturday when they face the Toledo Rockets to open Day 2 of the Miami Softball Invitational.