April 13, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue softball team split its Sunday doubleheader with Ohio State, dropping the first contest 7-4, but rebounding with a 3-1 victory in the night cap.
Junior Candace Curtis went 3-for-6 on the day with a home run and four RBI to lead the Purdue bats in the twin bill. Sophomore Kelsey Haupert also contributed a home run to the Boilermaker cause.
Ohio State 7, Purdue 4
The Buckeyes posted seven runs on 10 hits and three Purdue miscues in Game 1, while the Boilermakers managed four runs on three hits and four OSU errors.
A three-run home run by sophomore Kelsey Haupert and a RBI single by junior Candace Curtis accounted for the Purdue scores. Megan Miller posted the win for Ohio State (6-3), while junior Dana Alcocer (15-7) was saddled with the loss for the Boilermakers.
OSU scored first on a controversial play in the second inning. With two outs and a runner on second, the Buckeyes hit a grounder to the shortstop. The runner, Rachael Shepherd, collided with the Purdue shortshop as she attempted to field the ball, but no interference call was made. The shortstop's eventual throw to first sailed high, allowing Shepherd to score on the play.
The Buckeyes tapped Purdue for two more unearned runs in the third. An RBI double by Tory Haddad and an RBI single by Karisa Medrano accounted for the scores.
The Boilermakers evened the score with a single swing of the bat in the bottom of the inning as Haupert deposited a Megan Miller pitch over the wall in dead center field. The long ball brought home freshman Beth Cinadr and senior Ashley Hall, who were waiting in scoring position after a walk, a fielding error and a sacrifice.
A fourth-inning sacrifice fly gave OSU back the lead at 4-3. The Buckeyes tacked on three more in the fifth on three hits and a hit by pitch. Freshman Suzie Rzegocki took over in the circle for the Boilermakers to end the rally and allowed just two hits in two and two thirds innings of relief work.
Hall reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and scored in the fifth to get a run back for Purdue. The miscue and a sacrifice put the senior on second, then Curtis nubbed a single past the diving first baseman, allowing the speedy Hall to score. A fielder's choice and a ground out stranded two Boilermakers at inning's end.
The Buckeyes stranded 12 runners in the game, while the Boilermakers left seven runners aboard, including one in the final stanza.
Purdue 3, Ohio State 1
After giving up a run in the opening stanza, the Boilermaker defense was able to shut down the Buckeyes, allowing its offense time to score in the comeback effort.
Purdue scored its three runs on six hits, including a 2-for-3 effort by junior Candace Curtis, while allowing Ohio State one run on three hits.
Freshman Suzie Rzegocki (12-4) struck out four Buckeyes, while giving up just three hits in the complete-game victory. Kim Reeder (13-11) was charged with the loss for OSU, despite issuing nine Ks.
In the opening stanza, Sam Marder drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a ground out and a wild pitch, setting up Tory Haddad's single to center, which drove in the Buckeyes' lone run of the game.
A leadoff walk also set up Purdue's first score of the game. Senior Ashley Hall drew the free pass to start the third, then came home as Curtis lasered a two-run shot to left center.
The Boilermakers added an insurance run in the fifth on a Curtis single. Hall reached on an infield single and moved to second on a ground out. Curtis then stepped to the plate and delivered on the RBI opportunity with a single to right.
Ohio State went down in order in the seventh to seal the Purdue win.
The Boilemakers (28-11, 5-3 Big Ten) return to action on Tuesday, when they host the Valparaiso Crusaders in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.