Feb. 26, 2010
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In a game that featured 23 runs and 27 hits, it was a two-out error in the bottom of the seventh that clinched the Boilermaker softball team a 12-11 win over Saint Louis on Friday afternoon. The contest, which took two hours and 51 minutes to play, came down to a bases-loaded bobble by the Billiken second baseman.
Freshman Ashley Courtney, who tallied a bases-clearing double in the sixth that put Purdue on top for a moment, was at the plate for the final play and ran-out the game-winner. A two-out double by senior Liz Allum started the final rally. Senior Liane Horiuchi followed with a single to left and stole second. Sophomore Molly Garst brought a run in with a single deep in the hole. The hits prompted a SLU pitching change as starter Kelcie Matesa returned to the game. Garst stole second to move into scoring position, then a wild pitch advanced her to third as Horiuchi scored. Freshman Maia Monchek walked, then the Billikens intentionally walked senior Jenna Alexander to fill the bases. The fielding error by the second baseman was enough to bring Garst home and clinch the victory.
The Boilermakers scored 12 runs on 13 hits and an error, while allowing Saint Louis 11 runs on 13 hits and two miscues. Monchek went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the offense, while Horiuchi, Garst and Alexander each chipped in two hits. Nine Purdue batters tallied hits in the contest.
Three Purdue pitchers saw action in the contest, but it was junior Suzie Rzegocki who wound up with the victory, moving to 2-5 on the season after strike out three in the final two and two thirds innings. Freshman Erika Petruzzi and sophomore Katie Hackney also saw time in the circle for the Boilermakers. The Billikens also used a trio of pitchers, but it was the second reliever, Emma DeKalb, who was saddled with the loss.
The Boilermakers jumped on the scoreboard early with a run on two hits in the first inning. Freshman Maia Monchek sent a two-out single into left, then stole second, setting the table for senior Jenna Alexander. Alexander delivered on the RBI opportunity with a single up the middle, before being left stranded by a grounder to the shortstop.
The Billikens evened the score with a run on a hit in the second and took a 4-1 lead after a three-run third. A wild pitch with runners in scoring position accounted for SLU's first run. In the third, the Billikens combined four hits and a wild pitch for its tallies.
Purdue drove in its second run of the day on a hit in the third. Senior Liane Horiuchi drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second, from which she scored on a Monchek triple to right center. A pair of ground outs kept her from coming home.
Rzegocki poked a two-out single up the middle in the fourth and stole second, before a ground ball to the shortstop ended the inning.
SLU racked up three runs on four hits in the fifth to go up 7-2. The Billikens used four hits and a wild pitch to account for the scores. A two-run single by Brittany Schmidt prompted a Purdue pitching change as Hackney entered the game. A bases loaded wild pitch brought in the third run.
The Boilermakers strung together four hits for four runs in the fifth, narrowing the gap to one at 7-6. Horiuchi led off with a single to right prompting a SLU pitching change as Hannah Huebbe took over in the circle. Horiuchi stole second and sophomore Molly Garst drew a walk, before a passed ball moved the duo into scoring position. Monchek added to her RBI tally with a double to right, scoring two. Alexander singled to right, pushing Monchek to third and moving to second as the Billikens threw home to prevent a score. Freshman Kristen Allen sent a two-out pitch through the left side, nabbing two RBI, before a strikeout finally wrapped up the stanza.
The Purdue comeback effort continued in the third as freshman Ashley Courtney came through with a clutch bases-loaded two out double to the Boilermakers up 9-7. Petruzzi reached on a leadoff walk. Garst followed with a one-out double, then Alexander received an intentional walk to fill the basepaths. With a 2-2 count, Courtney ripped a double off the right center wall to clear the bases and give Purdue the lead. A strikeout kept the Boilermakers from adding to its advantage.
A singled, a double and a walk filled the bases for the Billikens in the seventh. A Liz Jones single to left brought in two runs and knotted the score. A fielding error by the first baseman allowed two more. The Boilermakers caught a Billiken stealing to end the inning and bring Purdue to the plate one final time.
Purdue (4-8) returns to action at 11 a.m. when they take on Northern Illinois.