March 20, 2010
FULLERTON, Calif. - A pitcher's duel was decided in the sixth inning as the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals topped the Purdue softball team 3-0 Friday night at the Judi Garman Classic. Junior Suzie Rzegocki had issued six Ks and allowed just two hits entering the stanza, when four hits and a defensive miscue snapped the shutout. The Boilermaker offense stranded six runners in the loss, including five in scoring position.
The Cardinals scored three runs on six hits and two Purdue errors, while the Boilermakers managed four hits in the game. Junior Aimee Gingerich accounted for two of the team's hits.
Kristen Wadwell (8-6) picked up the complete-game victory for UofL, while Rzegocki (6-10) issued six strikeouts in the complete-game effort for Purdue.
Louisville put two on in the first with a hit by pitch and a walk, but stranded both runners.
Senior Jenna Alexander tallied the game's first hit with an infield single. She went to second on a sacrifice, but would make it no further.
Gingerich led off the third with a single up the middle and moved to second on a sacrifice. Senior Liane Horiuchi was hit by a pitch to put two on, but a fielder's choice gave the team runners at the corners. A strikeout left both runners on base at inning's end.
The Cardinals posted two-out singles in the third and fourth, but could not capitalize.
Gingerich sent a one-out single into left to give the Boilermakers a base runner in the fifth. A sacrifice pushed her over to second, but a strikeout kept her from scoring.
A fielding error gave UofL a runner in the fifth, but a strikeout and a pop up prevented any damage.
Sophomore Molly Garst singled to the shortstop to start the sixth and advanced to third on a sacrifice and a ground out. A grounder to the shortstop, however, prevented her from coming home.
A Vanessa James bunt single and a single to left by Alicja Wolny started the Louisville half of the sixth. Chelsea Bemis added a single to left, driving in James. A throwing error by the third baseman allowed another run to score on the play. A Jordan Trimble two-out single made it 3-0 before a grounder to third wrapped up the inning.
Freshman Maia Monchek drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and stole second, but a pop up, a liner and a grounder to the pitcher stranded her and prevented a Boilermaker comeback.
Purdue (10-14) returns to action at 6:45 p.m. ET Saturday when they take on the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns in a rematch of the teams' Feb. 21 meeting.