May 11, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Boilermaker softball team's postseason efforts were cut short by No. 25 Ohio State Friday night at Buckeye Field. The Buckeyes won the Big Ten Tournament semifinal game 5-1.
Purdue scored one run on three hits, while allowing OSU 10 runs on 13 hits and two errors. Sophomores Kelly Miller (Indianapolis, Ind.), Candace Curtis (Danville, Calif.) and Katie Mitchell (Crown Point, Ind.) accounted for the Boilermaker hits.
The Buckeyes scored first with a run on three hits in the opening stanza. A pair of singles and a stolen base gave OSU runners at the corners. Courtney Pruner picked up the RBI with a bunt single. A ground out and fly out got Purdue out of the inning without further damage as Ohio State stranded two.
Ohio State added another run on two hits in the third. A single and ground out gave the Buckeyes a runner on second. A single to right center by Sam Marder plated the run.
Freshman Ashley Barr (Meridian, Idaho) drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second to give Purdue its first base runner. Barr moved to third on a sacrifice and a slap single by Miller. Miller stole second, putting runners at second and third, but the Boilermakers could not drive them home.
Curtis put Purdue on the board with a solo home run to left to start the home half of the fourth.
The Buckeyes tacked on three runs on three hits and an error in the fifth. A single and an error gave OSU two in scoring position with no outs. A Brittany Vanderink double scored both. Pruner then doubled home Vanderink, before a pair of ground outs ended the inning.
Mitchell sent a single into right center to start the sixth. A ground ball to the pitcher moved her to second, but a pair of strikeouts kept her from scoring.
OSU put the game out of reach with five runs on five hits in the seventh. A pair of RBI singles, a two-run triple and a fielding error accounted for the scores.
The Boilermakers went down in order on a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to wrap up the game.
Purdue ends the season at 33-32-1, including a 10-9 mark in the Big Ten which was good for fifth place, the program's best conference placing since 2001. The Boilermakers tallied their first ever postseason victory with a 4-1 win over Iowa in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament Friday afternoon.