March 27, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Boilermakers launched two home runs and junior pitcher Suzie Rzegocki struck out five batters, but were just nipped by the Northwestern Wildcats 4-3 on Saturday in both team's Big Ten opener.
Freshmen Maia Monchek and Ashley Courtney supplied the power for Purdue, accounting for the team's three runs and two hits. For its part, Northwestern managed four runs on seven hits, including two home runs of its own.
Lauren Delaney (7-7) picked up the complete-game victory for the Wildcats, while Rzegocki (8-12) went the distance for Purdue.
The Wildcats put two on to no avail in the bottom of the first after a single, a hit batsman and a fielder's choice.
The Boilermakers got their first base runner as senior Jenna Alexander reached on a leadoff walk in the second. A fielder's choice put Courtney aboard as Alexander was punched out at second. A pair of strikeouts left her stranded.
Northwestern put a runner on third in the third as Emily Allard singled, stole second and went to third on a grounder, but Rzegocki struck out the next batter to escape the inning unscathed.
Purdue jumped on the scoreboard with two outs in the fourth, after Alexander reached on a walk and Courtney brought her home with her first career home run, a two-run shot just inside the left field foul pole.
A pair of pop ups and a strikeout nullified an NU leadoff single in the bottom of the inning.
Senior Liane Horiuchi drew a two-out free pass in the fifth, but could not make her way around the basepaths due to a fly out, which wrapped up the stanza.
The Wildcats took the lead with three runs on three hits in the fifth. Jordan Wheeler led off with a single through the left side, was sacrificed to second and moved to third on an Allard single, before scoring on a fielder's choice play which put Kristin Scharkey aboard. With a runner at first and two outs, Adrienne Monka bounced a two-run shot off the top of the center field wall to give Northwestern the lead. Rzegocki bounced back with a strikeout to cap the inning.
Monchek tied the game at 3-3, bouncing a leadoff solo homer off the top of the center field wall to start the sixth. Alexander once again showed patience at the plate, drawing her third walk of the contest, tying the school game record. A fielder's choice play at second put Courtney on base. A wild pitch pushed her into scoring position, but a strikeout and fly out kept the Boilermakers from capitalizing on the scoring opportunity.
Northwestern edged ahead with a Nicole Pauly one-out solo home run to left center in the sixth.
Purdue threatened in the final stanza as Horiuchi was hit by a pitch with two outs and made her way to third with a steal and a wild pitch, but a grounder to second base cut the Boilermaker comeback bid short.
The Boilermakers (12-17, 0-1 Big Ten) will have another shot at the Wildcats in the 2 p.m. ET rematch on Sunday.