April 11, 2007
OXFORD, Ohio - A 10-run fifth inning helped the Boilermaker softball team to a 13-0 run-rule win over the Miami Redhawks in Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader. Purdue tallied 10 hits in the game, including a home run by sophomore Alicia Spack and multi-hit efforts by senior Catherine Zaworski, junior Ashley Hall and sophomore Katie Mitchell.
Freshman Kelsey Haupert (Olympia, Wash.) was Purdue's first base runner as she drew a walk to lead off the second inning. A sacrifice by senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) pushed her into scoring position with two outs, but a ground ball to the shortstop kept the Boilermakers off the scoreboard.
Leslie Macedo sent a lead off single up the middle to start Miami's half of the second, but was left stranded by a pair of strikeouts and a caught foul ball.
Spack (West Lafayette, Ind.) continued her success against the Redhawks with a solo home run to center field to start the third inning. The dinger was the second of her career and her second on the day. The Boilermakers tallied two more runs on three hits in the inning as the rally continued. Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) posted an infield single before scoring on a Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) double off the center field wall. Mitchell went to third on a wild pitch as sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.) walked. Haupert picked up the RBI with a single through the right side. A fly ball resulted in a double play to wrap up the stanza.
Miami threatened in the bottom of the inning putting two on with a single and a walk, but could not manage a run.
The Boilermakers plated 10 runs on six hits, three walks and a hit by pitch in the fifth. Purdue loaded the bases with no outs and scored three runs on a trio of walks before the Redhawk defense record its first out. Zaworski was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Mitchell hit a sharp single to the shortstop and stole second, then Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) reached on a bunt single to juice the bases for Curtis, who posted an RBI walk. Haupert also was patient at the plate watching a full-count ball sail high to pick up an RBI walk. Alexander did the same to make it 6-0. Freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho) made it an 8-0 game with a two-run single to the left center gap, plating pinch runner Amy Butcher (Decatur, Ind.) and Haupert. Spack drew a walk to fill the bases once again, setting the table for Zaworski, who placed a two-run single just over the head of the third baseman. A fielder's choice put Mitchell aboard and gave Purdue runners at the corners with two outs. Hall laid down a bunt single to score Spack from third. Curtis made it 13-0 with a two-run double to right center, before a ground ball to the pitcher ended the inning.
The Redhawks would not give up without a fight, loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Natalie Savona reached on a strike three wild pitch before being joined on base by Sarah Billstrom, who singled to left, and Halle Popson, who walked. Third baseman Ashley Hall caught a foul ball then fielded a ground out to seal the Purdue shutout win.
Purdue scored 13 runs on 10 hits and an error, while allowing the Redhawks just three hits. Sophomore Ashley DiDomenico (Youngstown, Ohio) struck out three in the complete-game victory, while Meredith Linch (6-1) was saddled with the loss for Miami.
The Boilermakers (21-25-1) return to action on Friday when they travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Big Ten play.