April 18, 2007
VALPARAISO, Ind. - Despite a valiant comeback effort, Purdue wound up on the short end of a 12-11 score against the Valparaiso Crusaders on Wednesday night. The Boilermakers came back from a 9-1 deficit, but could not garner the victory.
Purdue trailed 9-1 after giving up seven unearned runs in the third, but made a game of it, scoring two runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and six in the seventh inning. Freshman Kaity Stratten (Bloomington, Ind.) provided one highlight of the effort with a pinch hit grand slam in the seventh, marking both her first hit as a Boilermaker and first career home run. Sophomore Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) made it a one-run game with a solo shot directly following Stratten's long ball.
The Boilermakers scored 11 runs on 15 hits and five Crusader miscues, while allowing Valparaiso 12 runs on 11 hits and five errors. Five different players posted multi-hit efforts led by a 3-for-4 performance by freshman Jenna Alexander (Rancho Murieta, Calif.). Junior Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.), freshman Kelsey Haupert (Olympia, Wash.), freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho) and sophomore Alicia Spack (West Lafayette, Ind.) each tallied two hits.
Sophomore Ashley DiDomenico (Youngstown, Ohio) was saddled with the loss for the Boilermakers after giving up eight runs, although only two earned, in 2.1 innings of work. Senior Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) finished the game, striking out five in 3.2 innings of action.
The Boilermakers put two on in the opening stanza, but could not score. Mitchell drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second. Haupert filled the empty hole at first with a two-out walk, but a pop up ended the inning.
Alexander led off the second with a single to center field. Pinch runner Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) was sacrificed to second, but could not score.
Valparaiso went up 2-0 as Alicia Ashburn hit a two-out, two run home run over the center field wall. The hit scored Tracy Korth, who reached on a fielder's choice.
The Boilermakers capitalized on a pair of Crusader miscues to get one run back in the third. Hall extended her 17-game hit streak with a bunt single. Sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.) laid down a sacrifice bunt, but reached safely on a throwing error by the pitcher. Hall went to third on the play then scored as the right fielder's throw in to the pitcher sailed wide.
The Crusaders scored seven unearned runs on five hits and four Purdue errors in the bottom of the inning to go up 9-1. Baker took over in the circle and wrapped up the inning.
Purdue bounced back with two runs on three hits and an error in the top of the fourth. Barr started things off with a one-out double up the left field line. Spack followed with a single up the left field line, plating Barr. Sophomore Kelly Miller (Indianapolis, Ind.) reached on a bunt single. Spack went to third on the play, as the second baseman muffed the throw to first, before scoring on a wild pitch.
The Boilermakers tacked on two more runs on three hits in the fifth. Curtis and Haupert posted back-to-back singles to start the inning. Pinch runner Amy Butcher (Decatur, Ind.) and Haupert moved into scoring position on a sacrifice by senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.). A doubled down the left line by Alexander brought both home.
Valparaiso pushed its lead to 12-5 with three runs on three hits and an error in the sixth. A two-out walk gave the Crusaders a base runner. A fielding error by the third baseman put another runner on for Valpo. Megan Carroll scored both with a double to center. Tracy Korth followed with a single to right to cap the scoring for the Crusaders.
Purdue would not go down without a fight, putting up six runs in the final stanza. Haupert led off with a single, then went to third on an Alexander single coupled with a fielding error by the right fielder. A single to the shortstop by Barr drove in Haupert. A single to center loaded the bases, setting up Stratten's pinch hit slam. Mitchell's solo home run rounded out the scoring as a ground out and fly ball to center field ended the game.
The Boilermakers (26-27-1) return to action at 4 p.m. Friday when they take on the No. 9 Michigan Wolverines.