March 26, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -- After posting a come-from-behind victory in Game 1 of its doubleheader with Butler, the Boilermaker softball team dominated the night cap, posting a 7-0 victory. Purdue posted three home runs in the contest, including a school record-tying two by junior first baseman Katie Mitchell.
The Boilermakers scored their seven runs on 13 hits, while allowing the Bulldogs five hits in the game. Mitchell and sophomore Kelsey Haupert each posted 3-for-4 efforts in the contest, while senior Ashley Hall added two hits. Eight different Purdue batters tallied hits in the game.
Freshman Suzie Rzegocki (8-3) struck out three in five innings of work en route to the victory, while Jennifer Chasteen (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs in three innings of work. Junior Ashley DiDomenico tossed the final two innings for Purdue.
Sophomore Ashley Barr tallied the first hit of the game with a single in the opening stanza, but was caught stealing later in the inning. The Boilermakers put two on in the second as Haupert singled and freshman Shelby Krammer walked, but could not manage a run.
Butler led off its half of the second with a double and a single. A sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position, but Rzegocki issued a pair of strikeouts to escape the inning unscathed.
Junior Kelly Miller and Hall got things started for Purdue in the third with a pair of singles. A sacrifice pushed both into scoring position for Mitchell, who brought them home with a double off the fence in left. Junior Candace Curtis then smacked a towering two-out home run to left center to put Purdue up 4-0.
Hall led off the fifth with a single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Mitchell then ripped a one-out home run up the left field line that snuck in just inside the foul pole. Haupert followed with a double to left center, but a fly out and line out kept Purdue from adding to its advantage.
Sophomore Kaity Stratten reached on an error by the shortstop in the sixth and was sacrificed to second by pinch hitter Amy Butcher, but could not score.
Mitchell tied the school record for home runs in a game (2) when she sent a one-out solo shot to left in the seventh. The occasion marked the second time in her career (also 3/24/2007 vs. Michigan State) and the 12th time in Purdue history a player has registered two round trippers in a game. Haupert followed with a single, but was out on a fielder's choice which put Curtis aboard. Krammer and junior Christina Trauger added two-out singles up the middle to load the bases, but a pop up ended the inning.
The Bulldogs would not go down easy, leading off the seventh with a single. However, the Boilermaker defense held strong, using two fielder's choice plays and a ground out to short to sew up the shutout win.
The Boilermakers (21-8) return to action at 4 p.m. Friday when they welcome the Penn State Nittany Lions to the Varsity Softball Complex for Purdue's home and conference opener.