April 22, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Boilermakers put up a valiant fight in Game 2 of Wednesday night's doubleheader with No. 14 Ohio State, but could not pull off another upset. Ohio State won the game 4-1.
The Buckeyes scored four runs on eight hits and two Purdue miscues, while the Boilermakers managed one run on four hits. Sophomore Beth Cinadr accounted for two of Purdue's hits and the team's lone RBI.
Lindsay Bodeker (13-3) struck out eight in the complete-game victory for OSU, while senior Dana Alcocer (4-7) struck out two in a complete-game effort for Purdue.
The Boilermakers put two on to no avail in the second as freshman Molly Garst reached on a bunt single and junior Ashley Barr walked, but both were left stranded.
The Buckeyes advanced a runner to third on a double and a ground out in the bottom of the inning, but could not manage a run.
Ohio State scored first with a run on two hits in the third. Leah Ledford led off with a single up the middle. A sacrifice and a fly ball to center pushed her to third, from which she scored on a double to left by Tory Haddad. Another fly out kept the Buckeye lead to 1-0.
The Boilermakers answered in the top of the fourth, combining two hits for a run. Sophomore Beth Cinadr picked up the RBI, bouncing a double off the wall in left center to plate junior Jenna Alexander, who was on second after a single to center field and a ground out. Junior Ashley Barr joined Cinadr on base after being hit by a pitch, but both were stranded by a fly ball to the warning track.
The Buckeyes regained the lead with three runs on two hits and an error in the bottom of the fourth. Alicia Herron and Courtney Pruner drew walks to start the stanza. A fielding error by the third baseman loaded the bases. A single to left by Ledford plated two runs and also resulted in an out as the runner from first tried to advanced to third on the play, but was caught in a rundown. A bunt single and a stolen base gave OSU two runners in scoring position, then a ground ball to first base made it 4-1. A fly ball stranded two Buckeye runners at inning's end.
Junior Liane Horiuchi was hit by a pitch with one out in the fifth and stole second to move into scoring position, but a pair of strikeouts prevented the Boilermakers from bringing her home.
OSU left runners at second and third in the fifth as the Boilermaker defense forced a ground out, strikeout and a fly out after a pair of singles.
The Boilermakers threatened in the sixth, putting two on and moving them into scoring position, but could not convert them into runs. Garst drew a one-out walk, then Cinadr lasered a single up the third baseline. A ground out moved each up a base, but a strikeout kept Purdue from cutting into the deficit.
The Buckeyes stranded one in the sixth, then the Boilermakers went down in order to wrap up the game.
Purdue (24-17, 7-7 Big Ten) return to action at 1 p.m. Saturday when the team faces Penn State in University Park, Pa., live on the Big Ten Network.