April 20, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team held off the No. 9 Michigan Wolverines for six innings, but could not manage the win. The Wolverines won the game 5-1 after a seventh-inning rally.
Freshman Jenna Alexander (Rancho Murieta, Calif.) gave Purdue its first base runner with a second inning walk.
The Boilermakers broke onto the scoreboard in the third with a hit and an error. Senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Pinch runner Amy Butcher (Decatur, Ind.) went to second on a sacrifice. Junior Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) picked up the RBI with a double up the left field line. A fielding error by the second baseman put sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.) on base and pushed Hall to third. Hall was caught away from the base on a double-steal attempt to end the inning.
Alexander reached on an error by the shortstop in the fourth, but was left stranded.
The Wolverines put a runner on third in the fifth with a hit by pitch, a sacrifice and a ground out, but the Boilermaker defense forced another ground out to get out of the jam.
Hall tied the single-season hits record with an infield single in the sixth, pushing her tally to 75. Hall moved to third with a sacrifice and a stolen base, but a pop up kept her from scoring.
Michigan snapped senior Brooke Baker's bid for a one-hit shutout with five runs on five hits and an error in the seventh. The Wolverines loaded the bases with a pair of single and a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Kelly Miller (Indianapolis, Ind.) made a tremendous catch on a line drive to account for the first out of the inning, but the next batter walked to break the shutout. A close play at the plate on a fielder's choice made it 2-1. A two-out single up the left line plated two more runs. A fielding error following a stole base brought the score to 5-1 before a ground ball to third base brought the Boilermakers to bat one final time.
Purdue went down in order in the seventh.
Purdue scored one run on two hits and two Michigan miscues, while the Wolverines managed five runs on five hits and an error. Hall accounted for both of Purdue's hits.
Lorilyn Wilson (19-4) picked up the complete-game victory for Michigan, while Baker struck out one in the complete-game effort.
The Boilermakers (26-28-1, 4-6 Big Ten) look to even the series on Saturday. First pitch is slated for noon.