April 21, 2010
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Boilermaker offense poured in four runs in the final two stanzas of a 6-4 eight-inning victory over Ball State in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader. Trailing 4-2 after six innings, Purdue managed four runs on five hits and an error in the seventh and eighth to pull off the comeback win.
The Boilermakers scored six runs on nine hits and two BSU errors, while the Cardinals managed four runs on six hits and three Purdue miscues. Pitcher Suzie Rzegocki came up big for Purdue on both sides of the ball, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, and striking out five batters in the complete-game victory. Sophomore Molly Garst posted two hits in the game and five others contributed offensively in the win.
Rzegocki moved to 17-17 on the year with the win, while Elizabeth Milian dropped to 20-5 in the losing effort.
The Cardinals scored first with a run on a hit in the second. BSU loaded the bases with a pair of hit batsmen and a single. A fielder's choice play at third base accounted for the inning's first out, but allowed a score. A two-out walk filled the basepaths once again, but another fielder's choice play at third capped the inning.
The Boilermakers took advantage of a bizarre series of events in the third inning to take the lead. Garst started the inning with a single through the left side. She stole second and was sacrificed over to third. Senior Jenna Alexander drew a one-out walk to put runners at the corners. Alexander swiped second and the Cardinals threw to third to hold Garst. The throw from the catcher pegged Garst in the shoulder and caromed into left field, allowing her to come home. Alexander wound up at third on the error. Freshman Erika Petruzzi sent a grounder to first base, which was promptly thrown home, but Alexander slid in safely under the tag. After much discussion, the umpires decided that Petruzzi was out at first before the throw, but the run gave Purdue a 2-1 lead.
Ball State wasted a third inning single and stolen base, stranding a runner in scoring position after a caught foul, a strikeout and a grounder to third base.
The Boilermakers loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth after singles up the middle by Rzegocki and freshman Kristen Allen and a walk issued to freshman Ashley Courtney. A strikeout and a liner to the pitcher, which resulted in a double play, prevented Purdue from capitalizing.
The Cardinal scored three runs on two hits and two Boilermaker miscues in the sixth. Amanda Carpenter led off with a single through the left side and went to second on a fielding error by the left fielder. A walk put another runner aboard. An errant throw by the third baseman on a fielder's choice play allowed Carpenter to come home and pushed the lead runner to third. A stolen base moved two into scoring position. A Meredith Nash single to right plated a run and a grounder to second base added another. Another grounder to second brought Purdue to bat in the seventh.
Rzegocki sparked a rally with a leadoff home run in the seventh. Allen reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and went to second on the play. A sacrifice pushed her to third. A two-out single to right by Garst knotted the game at 4-4.
BSU put two on in the seventh with a fielding error and a single, but were held off the scoreboard, sending the game to extra innings.
Purdue made good on its new life in the eighth, loading the bases with one out as Petruzzi walked, Barr singled to the shortstop and Rzegocki singled to right. A wild pitch brought Petruzzi home and advanced Barr and Rzegocki to second and third. Courtney sent an RBI single deep in the shortstop hole to make it 6-4 Boilermakers.
The Cardinals went down in order on a pop up, a fly out and a strikeout to clinch Purdue the come-from-behind win.
The Boilermakers (21-22) look to reach the .500 mark on the season with a victory in Game 2 of the twin bill.