May 5, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team posted an 8-0 run-rule victory over Indiana in the final home game for its four seniors. Purdue racked up 10 hits in the game, while senior Brooke Baker pitched the sixth one-hitter of her career.
The Hoosiers tallied their lone hit of the game on a one-out single by Jennilee Huddleston in the opening stanza. The hit followed a miscue by the Boilermaker shortstop, but Indiana stranded both runners. After the single, Baker retired the next 17 batters in order.
Indiana pitcher Monica Wright walked the first two Purdue batters she faced, but got out of the inning unscathed. Sophomore Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) drew the leadoff walk and stole second, before being joined by junior Ashley Hall (Noblesville, Ind.).
The Boilermakers broke onto the scoreboard with three runs on three hits and two errors in the second. Freshman Jenna Alexander (Rancho Murieta, Calif.) led off with a single to the shortstop. Pinch runner Christina Trauger (Santa Rosa, Calif.) stole second and advanced to third as freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho) reached on a fielding error by the second baseman. Senior Erika Peterson (Irvine, Calif.) drove in both as she reached on another error by the second baseman. An single to shortstop by sophomore Kelly Miller (Indianapolis, Ind.) pushed Peterson to second. Mitchell followed with a single up the middle to make it 3-0.
An inning later, Purdue combined a pair of doubles for a score. Senior DaQueta Johnson (Ontario, Calif.) started the inning with a double to center. Freshman Kelsey Haupert (Olympia, Wash.) followed with a double to center, plating senior Catherine Zaworski (Prospect Heights, Ill.) who was pinch running, before advancing to third on the throw home. A strike out, ground out and fly out left Haupert stranded at third.
The Boilermakers managed two base runners in the fifth, but could not add to their lead. Sophomore Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.) walked to start the stanza and advanced to second on a Haupert single to right field. Curtis was out at third on a fielder's choice, then a pop up ended the inning.
The final three Hoosiers were retired via pop up, strike out and ground out, bringing Purdue to the plate for what would be the last time.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Boilermakers racked up four runs on four hits and an error to seal the mercy rule win. Peterson walked and was pinch run for by freshman Traci Lippold (Greenwood, Ind.). Lippold went to second on an infield single by Miller. Mitchell followed with a single to right and advanced to third on a fielding error by the right fielder. Both Lippold and Miller scored on the play. Hall drove in Mitchell with a triple to center field. Curtis ended the game with a RBI single to left center, which plated Hall. The Boilermakers had no-outs and a runner on first when the game ended.
Purdue scored eight runs on 10 hits, including two-hit efforts by Mitchell, Haupert and Miller. Seven different players posted hits in the game.
Baker (Schererville, Ind.) struck out four batters in the complete game effort, while moving to 24-16 on the season.
The Boilermakers look to finish the series sweep with a victory of the Hoosiers on Senior Day in Bloomington, Ind., on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.