April 25, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team couldn't quite muster enough offense to combat No. 2 Michigan for the second straight day, falling 12-3 after a two hour and 10 minute rain delay on Sunday.
Michigan scored its 12 runs on 13 hits and three Boilermaker miscues, while Purdue managed three runs on six hits. Sophomore Molly Garst led the offense with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate.
Jordan Taylor (20-2) picked up the win for UM after tossing four innings of relief, allowing just one hit. Nikki Nemitz struck out six before exiting the game in the fourth inning.
Junior Suzie Rzegocki was saddled with the loss for Purdue, striking out three in three and two thirds innings, boosting her career tally to 502, making her only the fourth Boilermaker pitcher ever to surpass the 500 K mark. Freshman Erika Petruzzi recorded two strikeouts in three and third innings of relief for the Boilermakers.
Purdue could not capitalize on a scoring opportunity in the first after putting two runners in scoring position. Garst led off with an infield single and was sacrificed to second. Senior Jenna Alexander was hit by a pitch, then the pair pulled off a double steal. A pair of strikeouts, however, stranded both.
Michigan broke onto the scoreboard with an unearned run in the second inning. A fielder's choice and a walk put two aboard with two outs. A fielding error by the second baseman filled the basepaths, before an illegal pitch call brought the run across.
Junior Shelby Krammer added another hit to the Purdue tally with a two-out single through the left side in the second, but the Boilermakers could not bring her in to score.
A Roya St. Clair home run in the third made it 2-0 Wolverines.
The Boilermakers got a run back with heads-up base running in the third. Garst reached with a leadoff single up the middle and stole second. Alexander grounded out to the pitcher for the inning's second out, but the speedy Garst kept running throughout the play at first and caught the defense on its heels, sliding in for the score.
Michigan loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on a pair of walks and a single to right. A fielder's choice play at the plate nudged the Boilermakers closer to capping the inning. They could not escape the Wolverines, however, as Angela Findlay cleared the bases with a double to left center, making it 5-1. UM tacked on two more runs as Maggie Viefhaus sent a two-run shot over the left center wall. Michigan loaded the bases again on a throwing error and two singles, prompting a Purdue pitching change. Petruzzi took over in the circle and allowed an RBI single before striking out the next batter looking to end the inning.
The Purdue offense rallied for two runs on two hits in the fourth to make it 8-3. Senior Ashley Barr led off with a single up the middle and freshman Ashley Courtney followed with a single to center field, prompting a UM pitching change. The pair pulled off a double steal to move into scoring position, then advanced another base as Michigan relief pitcher Jordan Taylor was called for an illegal pitch. With one out and Courtney at third, Krammer laid down a perfect sacrifice driving in the run.
The Wolverines countered with two runs on a pair of hits and an error in the fifth. A two-out single gave Michigan a base runner, then Viefhaus lifed a pop up behind second base, which was dropped by the shortstop to put two aboard. A St. Clair double followed the miscue to bring across to unearned runs.
Garst tallied her third hit of the game with an infield single in the fifth, but was caught stealing to halt the scoring threat.
A Viefhaus double and a St. Clair single brought in two more Michigan runs in the seventh.
The Boilermakers went down in order in the seventh to close out the game.
Purdue (22-24, 3-7 Big Ten) returns to action at 3 p.m. Wednesday when it plays host to Michigan State for a doubleheader. It is Strike Out Cancer Day at the ballpark, so fans are encouraged to wear pink to support the cause.