April 29, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A home run accounted for the lone run of the game in Purdue's 1-0 win over Penn State in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader. Freshman Kelsey Haupert tallied the long ball in the fourth inning of the Boilermaker victory.
The Nittany Lions loaded the bases on a trio of hits in the first, but the Boilermaker defense held strong, keeping PSU off the scoreboard.
The Boilermakers repeated the effort, loading the bases on two hits and a walk in the second, but also could not manage a run. Senior DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) drew a leadoff walk. Pinch runner Christina Trauger (Santa Rosa, Calif.) moved to third on base hits by Haupert (Olympia, Wash.) and freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho), but a pair of strikeouts left the trio stranded.
Haupert put the Boilermakers on the scoreboard with a one-out solo home run to left in the fourth inning. Barr also tallied a hit in the inning, but could not score.
Johnson sent a one-out single into right field in the sixth, but was punched out trying to advance to third on a two-out walk by senior Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.).
Penn State put two on with a single and an error in the sixth, but a fielder's choice and ground out kept the shutout in tact.
The Nittany Lions would not go away without a fight, getting a pair of base runners with a fielder's choice and a two-out walk in the seventh. A fly ball to left, however, sealed the Purdue victory.
The Boilermakers scored one run on five hits and an error, while holding Penn State scoreless on five hits. Barr and Haupert led Purdue with two hits each.
Senior Brooke Baker (Schererville, Ind.) struck out three in the complete-game victory. Ashley Esparza (11-10) was saddled with the loss for Penn State.
The Boilermakers look to pull of the series sweep of the Nittany Lions when Game 2 begins at 2 p.m. A series sweep would mark the first time Purdue had taken two games from Penn State in a season since 1997.