March 7, 2014
ATHENS, Ga. - It was a tale of two games: a hit parade against Tennessee Tech and a pitcher's duel against Kent State on Day 1 of the UGA Softball Classic.
The Boilermakers rapped out 11 hits and junior Lilly Fecho struck out 10 batters in a 4-1 win over Tennessee Tech. The team could muster just one hit in a 1-0 loss to Kent State, where the difference was a first inning home run.
Purdue (7-12-1) returns to action at 10 a.m. ET Saturday when the team faces off with TTU once again. A 3 p.m. contest with the host No. 18 Georgia Bulldogs also is on tomorrow's slate.
Purdue 4, Tennessee Tech 2
Junior pitcher Lilly Fecho (5-6) struck out a season-high 10 batters in the complete game victory, while the Boilers poured on four runs on 11 hits, including two hit efforts by seniors Andie Varsho, Lindsey Rains and Danielle Fletcher. Eight Purdue players had hits off of TTU starter Hannah Weaver (2-5) in the game. The Golden Eagles managed their two runs on seven hits.
The Boilers jumped on the scoreboard with two runs on two hits and an error in the bottom of the first. Varsho led off with a double and went to third as junior Gabi Brown reached on a fielding error. Junior Ashley Burkhardt walked to fill the base paths for senior Lindsey Rains, who drove in two runs with a double to left center. Two strikeouts and a grounder kept Purdue from adding to the 2-0 edge.
The Golden Eagles got one run back in the second inning, combining a leadoff single and a two-out triple to the right center gap.
Purdue got three hits in the second inning, singles from seniors Danielle Fletcher and Tori Chiodo and Brown, but a trio of fielder's choice plays kept the Boilermakers from capitalizing. A play at the plate and two at second base left the bases full.
The Boilermakers added two more runs on four hits in the fourth. Fletcher got things started with a double up the right field line. Chiodo followed with a walk. A single by Varsho drove in pinch runner MaryBeth Pavlick from second. Sophomore Paris Andrew picked up an RBI, scoring Chiodo from third on a single to right field.
Senior Maia Monchek had a fifth-inning single and Burkhardt added a single in the sixth, but Purdue could not add to its 4-1 lead.
With runners at first and third after two singles in the seventh, an RBI single by Angi Sakamoto scored the final run of the game.
Kent State 1, Purdue 0
A first-inning home run for Kent State was the difference in the pitcher's duel.
Emma Johnson (6-2) struck out 11 in the complete-game victory for KSU, while junior Lexy Moore (1-6) issued five Ks in the loss for Purdue. Kent State scored one run on six hits and an error, while the Boilermakers managed just one hit, a two-out single by senior Andie Varsho in the sixth.
Maddy Grimm sent a two-out home run up the right field line in the first inning to start the scoring.
The Boilermakers got their first base runner in the third, when senior Tori Chiodo drew a two-out walk.
Kent State could not capitalize on a pair of singles in the fourth, wasted a two-out single in the fifth and left two stranded after singles in the sixth.
Varsho snapped the no-hit bid in the sixth, sending a two-out single into left field, but a ground ball left her stranded.
Both teams went down in order in the seventh.