Feb. 15, 2008
Final Stats
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WACO, Texas - The Purdue softball posted a historic win Friday night, topping the No. 7 Baylor Bears, 6-5 in eight innings to close day one of the Getterman Classic. The Boilermakers topped a Top 10 team for the first time since beating No. 7 Texas 6-5 on March 4, 1999. The seventh-ranked Bears are the highest ranked team a Purdue squad has defeated in program history.
Sophomore pinch runner Amy Butcher was placed on second to begin Purdue's half of the eighth inning due to the international tie breaker rule. Freshman Suzie Rzegocki sacrificed her over to third. Senior Tara Palmer then came through with the biggest hit of her career, a single to right center, which plated the game winning run and caused the Boilermaker dugout to explode in celebration.
Purdue scored its six runs on eight hits and two Baylor errors, while the Bears managed five runs on five hits and one Boilermaker miscue. Senior Ashley Hall went 3-for-4, while Curtis posted a 2-for-3 effort with three RBI.
Rzegocki (3-1) struck out five in the complete game victory for Purdue. Reliever Brittany Turner was charged with the loss after allowing one run on two hits in two innings of work.
The Boilermakers wasted no time jumping on the Bears, going up 3-0 in the first inning. Senior Ashley Hall led off with an infield single. A fielder's choice put sophomore Ashley Barr aboard. Hall moved to second on the play as the shortstop dropped the incoming throw from the pitcher. Freshman Beth Cinadr laid down a sacrifice, but the Bears were unable to get the force out at third, instead sending the ball into left field. Hall recovered from her slide into third and just beat out the throw home. Cinadr and Barr moved into scoring position on the play. With one out, junior Candace Curtis lasered a single up the left field line to bring in both runs.
Purdue tacked on another run in the third on a pair of doubles. Junior Katie Mitchell put a two-out double deep into the left field corner, then scored as Curtis doubled off the wall in center field.
Baylor tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth inning after posting its first hit of the game, a leadoff single. A pair of walks loaded the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly drove in one run. Jordan Daniels then evened the score with a three-run shot to right center.
The Boilermakers regained the lead with one run on one hit in the sixth. Mitchell reached on a fielding error by the second baseman to start the inning. A sacrifice moved her to second. Rzegocki then helped her own cause by bouncing a double off the 15-foot high center field wall and pushing the run across the plate.
In the top of the seventh with two outs and a runner on second, Brette Reagan rifled a triple through the left side to score pitcher Kirsten Shortridge, who was on second after reaching on a fielding error and stealing a base.
Hall gave Purdue a base runner in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out bunt single. Hall was sacrificed over to second, before being joined on base by Cinadr, who was intentionally walked. Mitchell drew a walk to load the bases with two outs, but a ground out to second base wrapped up the stanza, forcing extra innings.
With the international tie breaker rule in effect in the eighth inning, Courtney Oberg was placed on second for Baylor to start the stanza. Oberg went to third on a wild pitch, then was joined on base as Jordan Vannatta walked. Oberg was caught away from the base at third on a fielder's choice. A line out to the shortstop and a strikeout brought Purdue to the plate.
Purdue (4-2) returns to action at 1:30 p.m. ET when it takes on Syracuse. The Boilermakers will face off with Baylor for the second time in a 6:30 p.m. contest Saturday.