Feb. 9, 2008
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - For the second time in three games, the Boilermakers rallied for a victory. This time, Purdue overcame a 5-0 deficit to tie the score before winning the contest 7-6 in eight innings.
Trailing 6-5 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Boilermakers loaded the bases to start the stanza. Freshman Shelby Krammer drew a lead off walk. Pinch runner Kaity Stratten moved to third as junior Alicia Spack walked and senior Ashley Hall was intentionally walked. Sophomore Ashley Barr then tied the game with a single to left field. With the bases still full, junior Katie Mitchell reached on a fielding error by the shortstop, which drove in the game-winning run.
The Boilermakers scored seven runs on 11 hits, while USA accounted for its six runs on six hits. Hall celebrated her 22nd birthday with a 4-for-4 effort, including a single-game record tying two triples. Barr and junior Kelly Miller posted two-hit efforts.
Freshman Suzie Rzegocki (1-0) earned the win after striking out four batters in five and two thirds innings of relief work. Rzegocki entered the game in the third inning in place of starter Dana Alcocer, who struck out two in two and a third innings. Amanda Leggett (0-3), the third pitcher in the game for USA, was saddled with the loss.
South Alabama jumped onto the scoreboard with one run on one hit in the opening stanza. The Jaguars combined a leadoff walk, a stolen base and a sacrifice to put a runner on third. An RBI single into right field plated the run.
The Boilermakers got a baserunner in their half of the first as Hall posted a leadoff infield single, but a double play and a ground ball wrapped up the stanza.
USA added four more runs in the third. A pair of bases loaded walks accounted for the first two scores. With one out and the bases still full, freshman pitcher Suzie Rzegocki entered the circle in relief. A single and a sacrifice fly followed, each driving in a run, before a pop up got Purdue out of the inning.
Purdue got one run back in the bottom of the third. Miller tapped a two-out single into short left field, then scored on a triple to right center by Hall. A pop up kept the Boilermakers from scoring again.
The bottom of the fourth brought two more runs to the Boilermakers. With two outs and two aboard via walk, freshman Shelby Krammer sent a fly ball into the outfield which was dropped by the right fielder. Krammer reached safely on the play, while junior Katie Mitchell scored and freshman Beth Cinadr went to third. With runners at the corners, junior Alicia Spack stepped in to pinch hit and delivered on the RBI opporunity with a sharp single toward second base. A ground ball left two stranded.
Purdue made it a one-run game as Hall and Barr combined for a run in the fifth. Hall led off with her school-record tying second triple of the game with a shot to right center. Barr followed with a single to short left field to bring Hall home. Barr moved to third on a line out and an errant throw by the shortstop, which sailed into the Purdue dugout. Sophomore Candace Curtis joined her on base with a one-out walk and advanced to second with heads up base running on the play. A fly ball to left field accounted for the inning's second out. Then, on a controversial call, Barr was tabbed for not tagging up at third to end the inning.
The Boilermakers remained resilient, tying the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out RBI single by Curtis. Miller scored on the hit after reaching on an infield single and advancing to second on single by Hall. Freshman Beth Cinadr loaded the bases with a single up the middle, but the Boilermakers couldn't cash in to end the game.
Purdue (2-1) finishes up its stay at the Hampton Inn Bama Bash with an evening contest against the host No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was slated for a 6 p.m. (EST) start, but the game will be delayed as the schedule is running nearly two hours behind.