May 8, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team tried to work out of a 3-0 hole, but couldn't quite pull off the comeback against instate foe Indiana on Saturday, as the Hoosiers spoiled Purdue alumni day with a 3-2 victory.
Indiana managed three runs on five hits and one Purdue miscue, while the Boilermakers mustered two runs on two hits and four Hoosier errors. Sophomore Molly Garst supplied both of Purdue's hits with a first-inning single and a sixth-inning double.
Monica Wright (4-12) struck out seven in the win for IU, while junior Suzie Rzegocki (21-20) struck out nine Hoosiers in the losing bid.
The Hoosiers scored all three of their runs in the opening stanza, before Rzegocki shut them down. Breanna Saucedo started things off with a leadoff single up the middle and advanced to second on an illegal pitch, before coming home on a Jennifer Glueckert single up the middle. Sara Olson made it 3-0 Indiana with a two-run shot over the center field wall. A strikeout and a ground out capped the inning.
Garst gave Purdue its first scoring opportunity in the bottom of the inning, posting the leadoff single and moving to second on a sacrifice, but she was caught stealing for the second out of the inning.
IU posted a second-inning single, but stranded a runner at inning's end.
Purdue got one run back in the second, capitalizing on three Hoosier errors. Senior Jenna Alexander reached on a fielding error by the second baseman. Freshman Erika Petruzzi laid down a sacrifice, but was safe at first base after a throwing error by the third baseman. A fielder's choice play at third accounted for the inning's first out, but the forced the IU into another error, for a score on the following play. Senior Ashley Barr reached on a throwing error by the third baseman and advanced to second as the ball sailed into right field. The miscue allowed Petruzzi to round third and score, while pushing freshman Ashley Courtney to third. A pair of strikeouts, however, stranded two runners and kept Purdue from adding to its tally.
Rzegocki sat down eight batters in order before allowing a fifth-inning single, but a pair of ground outs prevented any damage.
Barr reached on a fielding error by the shortstop to start the Purdue half of the fifth and swiped second, but was caught in a run down between second and third to clear the base paths.
Rzegocki issued her eighth and ninth strikeouts of the day to open the sixth, but a fielding error by the third baseman allowed a base runner. A grounder back to Rzegocki kept the score intact.
Garst set up Purdue's second score with a leadoff double off the right center wall in the sixth. A sacrifice pushed her to third, from which she scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Rzegocki. A pop up sent the game to the seventh inning 3-2. Both teams went down in order in the final frame to snag Indiana the victory.
Purdue (26-25, 7-8 Big Ten) will look to salvage a series split and half a Crimson and Gold Cup point with a victory in Sunday's 1 p.m. rematch.