March 20, 2010
FULLERTON, Calif. - The Purdue softball team exacted revenge on No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette, toppling the Ragin' Cajuns 14-7 on Saturday, and avenging a Feb. 21 loss.
The Boilermakers piled up 14 runs on 15 hits and three ULL errors, while allowing seven runs on six hits and four errors. Purdue scored at least one run in each of the first six innings and all but one of the starters posted at least one hit. Freshman Kristen Allen led the way with three hits, while five other players tacked on two hits apiece. Senior Liane Horiuchi picked up six RBI, third most in a game in school history, with a school-record tying pair of three-run home runs, while sophomore Molly Garst added her first career long ball and swiped a school-record tying three bases in the contest.
Junior Suzie Rzegocki (7-10) went the distance, striking out three, while Donna Bourgeouis (7-7) was saddled with the loss for ULL.
A bizzaro first inning resulted in two runs on two hits and an error for the Ragin' Cajuns. With two outs, Christi Oregeron singled to left. A fielder's choice play at second should have ended the inning, but an illegal pitch was called, advancing the runner and continuing the inning. The batter then struck out swinging, but reached base on a dropped third strike. Gabriele Bridges capitalized on the miscue by dropping a double just inside the right field line. A fly ball finally ended the stanza.
The Boilermakers half of the first was just as successful, if not as chock full of action. A pair of fielding woes and a hit brought in two runs. A two-base throwing error by the second baseman put Horiuchi on. Garst took advantage of a fielding miscue by the pitcher, to give Purdue runners at the corners. Garst swiped and freshman Erika Petruzzi walked to fill the bases. A fielder's choice play at second, brought Horiuchi home. Garst scored the following play as freshman Ashley Courtney singled just inside the right field line.
ULL managed three runs on three hits and an error in the second to take the lead. A walk and two singles should have loaded the bases, but an error after the hit allowed a score. A two-out single to right by Orgeron accounted for the other two runs.
Purdue regained the lead with four runs on four hits, including back-to-back home runs, in the bottom of the inning. With two on and one out, Horiuchi's first long ball of the day, which sailed over the scoreboard in left center, tied things up. The round tripper brought home senior Ashley Barr who posted a leadoff single and stole second, and Allen, who tallied a one-out single. Garst put the Boilermakers on top with her solo shot to dead center.
The Ragin' Cajuns stranded two runners in the third after a single and a walk.
The Boilermakers combined a pair of fielder's choice plays and a single for a run in the third. The first fielder's choice put Barr aboard. Freshman Aimee Gingerich followed with a single through the left side, which pushed Barr to third. ULL went for a fielder's choice out at second the next play, allowing Barr to scurry home.
ULL threatened in the fourth, loading the bases on a pair of two out walks and a hit batsman, but a fielder's choice play at third prevented the Cajuns from capitalizing.
Purdue tacked on the eventual game-winner on two hits and an error in the fourth. Garst started things off with a double that landed just fair of the line in right field. She swiped third and scored as the first baseman's throw home after a ground out sailed high. Senior Jenna Alexander added a single and went to second on an illegal pitch, but was left stranded.
Louisiana-Lafayette pulled within one with a two-run fifth inning. A two-base throwing error put Nerissa Myers in scoring position with one out. An illegal pitch advanced her to third. A walk put runners at the corners. A grounder to the pitcher brought in Myers and pushed Vallie Gaspard to second. A wild pitch bumped her over to third, from which she scored on an illegal pitch. After a pair of walks, a swinging strikeout left Purdue up by one.
The Boilermakers gave themselves a little breathing room with three runs on four hits in the fifth. Barr doubled to left center to start the rally and scored as Allen doubled down the left field line. A sacrifice moved Allen to third. Garst walked and stole second to put two in scoring position. Freshman Erika Petruzzi picked up an RBI with a two-out single through the left side, bringing Allen home. Alexander singled to the shortstop to drive in Garst. Courtney walked to fill the basepaths with Boilermakers, but a foul out kept the team from adding to its 11-7 lead.
After a 1-2-3 inning on defense, the Boilermaker offense mustered three more runs on three hits to give the team its highest run tally of the season. A fielder's choice put Gingerich on, then Allen followed with a single to right, setting up Horiuchi's second dinger of the day. The Wahiawa, Hawaii native deposited the long ball over the center field fence to boost her RBI tally to six and cap the scoring. A Petruzzi double and Alexander walk followed, but neither would make it around to score.
A fielding error by the shortstop and a walk put two on for the Cajuns in the seventh, but a grounder to second base and a fly ball to right field capped the Purdue win.
The Boilermakers (11-14) return to action at 2:15 p.m. ET when they take on No. 8 Arizona State and No. 1 Washington in back-to-back contests.