April 22, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team scored five runs in the final two innings en route to an 8-6 victory and series sweep of Michigan State in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader.
Purdue racked up eight runs on 12 hits, including three multi-hit efforts, while Michigan State managed six runs on eight hits. Junior Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.) went 3-for-4 with a double, while sophomore Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) was 2-for-2 with three walks and freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho) went 2-for-3.
Mitchell led off the game with a double to left center. Hall followed with a walk, before the pair was sacrificed into scoring position. Freshman Jenna Alexander (Rancho Murieta, Calif.) put Purdue on the board with a two-run double up the left field line.
Caitlin Mahoney gave Michigan State the lead with a three-run home run in the bottom of the inning.
The Boilermakers tied the score on a double by Hall in the second. Hall's hit down the right field line, plated Barr, who reached on a bunt single and was sacrificed to second.
Purdue threatened in the third putting runners at the corners with one out, but a fielder's choice and an interference call, left two stranded at inning's end.
Mitchell tallied her second hit of the game with a single up the middle in the fourth, but could not score.
Michigan State snapped the 3-3 tie with a two-run home run by Meghan Darhower in the bottom of the inning.
Purdue put two on via Spartan fielding errors in the fifth, but were unable to capitalize.
Kara Weigle gave MSU a 6-3 lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.
The Boilermakers answered with four runs on four hits in the sixth. Purdue loaded the bases on a pair of singles and an intentional walk, setting the table for heroics by sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.). Curtis delivered on the RBI opportunity by launching a grand slam over the center field wall. Freshman Kelsey Haupert (Olympia, Wash.) followed with a single and Alexander walked, but the Boilermakers could not add to its 7-6 advantage.
Senior Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) took over in the circle for sophomore Ashley DiDomenico (Youngstown, Ohio) to begin the sixth inning and held Michigan State at bay.
Hall capped the scoring with an RBI single to center in the seventh. Sophomore Kelly Miller (Indianapolis, Ind.) reached on a one-out bunt single and went to second as Mitchell drew her single-game record tying third walk of the game, before scoring on Hall's hit.
A two-out walk in the seventh kept hope alive for the Spartans, but a ground ball to second base gave Purdue the win.
DiDomenico (7-13) struck out two in five innings of work en route to the win, while Baker struck out one in her first save of the season. Lesley Noel struck out two in six innings in the losing effort, while Megan Hair pitched one inning of relief.
The Boilermakers return to action at 2 p.m. Wednesday, when they face off with the Ball State Cardinals in a doubleheader in Muncie, Ind.