March 9, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - Timely base hits and strong pitching guided the Boilermaker softball team to a 4-0 win over Toledo, Friday morning to start the team's action at the Bulldog Classic. Senior Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) struck out six, while her offense managed 12 hits in the winning effort.
The Boilermakers struck first with a run on two hits in the opening stanza. Junior Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) bounced a single to short to start the game. She was sacrificed over to second before scoring on a two-out single to right by freshman Kelsey Haupert (Olympia, Wash.). The Toledo pitcher walked the next two batters to load the bases, but a fly ball to right field kept Purdue from capitalizing on the opportunity.
Toledo put its first runner on base with a one-out single in the second, but the Purdue defense converted on a pair of fielder's choice plays to escape the inning unscathed.
Purdue tacked on another run in the fourth inning, combining a pair of hits and an error for the score. Sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.) led off with a double off the center field fence. Curtis advanced to third on the play as the defense struggled to return the ball to the pitcher. Senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) knocked her home with a single to right. A sacrifice moved pinch runner Traci Lippold (Greenwood, Ind.) to second. A bunt single by sophomore Kelly Miller (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) pushed her to third with two outs, but Lippold was called out on a questionable call after the play to end the inning.
The Rockets tried to answer in the fifth, putting two runners on with two outs, but could not score.
The Boilermakers added two insurance runs in the sixth. Curtis sent a one-out single to left, then was sacrificed to second by Peterson. Freshman Jenna Alexander (Rancho Murieta, Calif.) picked up the RBI with a double up the left field line. Pinch runner Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) scored on the following play as senior DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) singled to left and advanced to second on the throw home. Miller tabbed her third hit of the game with a single to second base, moving Johnson to third, but a fly out kept her from coming home.
The teams went down in order during the final inning and a half to seal the Purdue victory.
Eight different players contributed to the Boilermaker hit parade, led by Miller's 3-for-3 outing and Curtis's 2-for-2 effort. Hall also posted multiple hits in the contest, going 2-for-4 at the plate.
Baker (3-7) struck out six and allowed just three hits in the complete game effort, while Sierra Pereira (1-3) was saddled with the loss for the Rockets.
The Boilermakers (6-14) return to action at 2 p.m. (PST), when they take on the BYU Cougars. Live stats can be found by clicking on the GameTracker link next to the contest on the schedule located on the front page of purduesports.com or on the softball page.