April 2, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team piled up 13 hits by eight different batters en route to a 6-1 win over IUPUI in Game 1 of Wednesday's twin bill.
Junior Kelly Miller led the Purdue offense with a 3-for-4 effort. Senior Ashley Hall, sophomore Kelsey Haupert and sophomore Ashley Barr each posted two-hit performances in the contest, helping the Boilermakers to their six-run tally. IUPUI scored a run on nine hits and an error in the game.
Junior Dana Alcocer (14-6) struck out three in five innings en route to the victory. Junior Ashley DiDomenico K'ed one Jaguar batter in two innings of relief work. Jessica McGown (0-3) was saddled with the loss for IUPUI.
The Boilermakers had an opportunity to score in the first as junior Kelly Miller dropped a double into short left field and went to third on a ground out. A wild pitch seemed like a prime time to score, but the ball took a Jaguar bounce off the backstop and the pitcher applied the tag at the plate to end the inning.
Purdue broke onto the scoreboard in the third, stringing together three hits for a pair of runs. Sophomore Jenna Alexander led off with a double to left center. Pinch runner Tara Palmer went to third on a bunt single by senior Ashley Hall. Miller drove in both with a sharply hit single up the middle. A double play kept Miller from coming home.
IUPUI got one run back in the top of the fourth. Amanda Mackey drew a leadoff walk and went to third on a single and a sacrifice. Cayleigh Harvey plated the run with a single to left, before a ground ball to third and a fly out to left wrapped up the stanza.
The Boilermakers tacked on two more in the fourth as junior Katie Mitchell deposited a two-run home run over the left field wall. Mitchell's long ball, her fourth of the season and the 21st of her career, scored sophomore Kelsey Haupert, who singled to lead off the inning. Barr was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a sacrifice and a ground out, but was left stranded by a fly ball to left.
The Jaguars threatened in the fifth, putting runners at the corners with one out, but could not score.
Junior Candace Curtis and Haupert tallied back-to-back doubles with two outs in the fifth to make it 5-1 Boilermakers.
Purdue wrapped it offensive stand combining four singles for a score in the sixth. Sophomore Ashley Barr led off with a single to left, was sacrificed to second, went to third on a fly ball and scored on a single by junior Christina Trauger. Hall and Miller followed with singles of their own to load the bases, but a deep fly ball stranded the trio.
The Jaguars would not go down without a fight, however, loading the bases with two outs in the seventh on a pair of a singles and a walk. A fielder's choice play at second ended the rally and sewed up the Purdue win.
The Boilermakers (24-10) look to pull off the sweep with a win in Game 2 of the twin bill with IUPUI.