March 13, 2010
LAKEWOOD, Calif. - The Boilermaker softball showed its resiliency, fighting off a comeback effort with timely hitting in the bottom of the seventh en route to a 6-5 win over San Diego Saturday morning.
Purdue scored six runs on eight hits and three USD errors, while allowing five runs on seven hits and an error. Sophomore Molly Garst went 3-for-4, including the game-winning hit, a two-run single in the final stanza. Freshman Ashley Courtney also had a multi-hit day with a 2-for-3 effort.
Junior Suzie Rzegocki (5-7) struck out six batters en route to the complete-game victory, while Jennifer Ellenbeck was saddled with the loss for San Diego.
The Toreros posted a hit and left a runner on in each of the first two innings.
Junior Shelby Krammer tallied Purdue's first hit with a two-out laser through the left side in the second, but the Boilermakers could not move her around the basepaths.
The Boilermakers broke onto the scoreboard in the third, capitalizing on USD miscues. Purdue loaded the bases on a one-out single up the middle by Courtney, a two-out single to shallow left by Garst and a fielding error by the pitcher, which put freshman Maia Monchek aboard. A wild pitch allowed the run to score, before a grounder to second ended the inning.
A seeing-eye double in the fourth gave San Diego a runner in scoring position, but a heads up play by shortstop Liane Horiuchi turned the next ground ball into a double play. Horiuchi fielded the ball, caught the runner at second cheating away from the base and tagged her, before firing over to first to complete the play.
Horiuchi came through offensively in the fifth with a two-out solo shot over the center field wall. Garst followed with a double to center. Monchek followed suit with a deep hit to center field, stretching it into a triple before the relay throw to third sailed wide, allowing her to score on the play and put Purdue up 4-0. A fourth fly ball was roped in by the center fielder to wrap up the stanza.
The Toreros managed two runs on a hit and an error in the sixth. A fielding error by the first baseman gave USD a base runner. A walk and a hit by pitch filled the bases. Taylor Hensley picked up an RBI with a single up the middle and a fielder's choice play at second base made it 4-2. A caught foul ball stranded runners at the corners at inning's end.
Freshman Erika Petruzzi drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and was sacrifice to second, but left stranded by a pop up and strikeout.
San Diego made things interesting, filling the bases on two walks and a bunt single with no outs in the seventh. Ellenbeck helped her own cause with a two-run single up the middle that ended with a close play at the plate. Hensley gave the Toreros the lead with a two-out single to left, before a strikeout brought the Boilermakers to the plate for one final time.
Courtney started things off for Purdue in the seventh with a single through the left side. Horiuchi laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt and wound up at second after the first baseman's throw to first sailed into right field. Pinch runner Aimee Gingerich went to third on the play. With two on in scoring position and nobody out, Garst stepped to the plate and provided the game-winner with a two-run single up the middle.
The Boilermakers (7-10) look to add another victory on the day, when they face Buffalo at 2:15 p.m. ET.