May 12, 2010
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - An upset was not in the cards for the Boilermaker softball team in Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader with No. 18 Illinois as the Fighting Illini issued Purdue an 8-0 loss. Purdue wraps up the regular season at 27-27 and 8-10 in Big Ten play, which ranks the team sixth in the conference with weekend games left to be played.
Wednesday's games wrapped up the careers of four senior players: catcher Jenna Alexander, outfielders Liz Allum and Ashley Barr and shortstop Liane Horiuchi.
Illinois scored eight runs on nine hits and an error, while allowing Purdue four hits. Senior Ashley Barr, juniors Shelby Krammer and Aimee Gingerich and sophomore Molly Garst supplied the Boilermaker offense.
Pepper Gay (15-1) picked up the win for Illinois, while junior Suzie Rzegocki (21-22) was saddled with the loss for the Boilermakers. Freshmen Erika Petruzzi and Julia Rice also saw time in the circle in the contest with each issuing a strikeout.
Garst laced a single into right field to start the contest and swiped second, tying her for the season stolen base record of 43 with teammate Liane Horiuchi. Garst was called out trying steal third, however. Senior Jenna Alexander was hit by a pitch with two outs, but was out on a fielder's choice at second base to end the inning.
The Fighting Illini managed a two-out single in the first, but could not score.
Barr laid down a perfect bunt single with one out in the second and was sacrificed over to second base, but a strikeout left her stranded.
Illinois jumped out to a 6-0 lead on two swings of the bat in the home half of the second as Ashley Conrad and Meredith Hackett both supplied three run home runs. With runners at first and second and one out, Conrad lifted the first long ball. With runners at second and third after a pair of singles, Hackett supplied her two-out bomb.
UI managed two base runners on an error and a fielder's choice in the third, but the Boilermakers kept them off the scoreboard.
Alexander drew a leadoff walk in the fourth, but a fielder's choice, a pop up and a grounder kept Purdue from capitalizing.
The Illini loaded the bases in the fourth on a pair of singles and a walk. Two more walks drove in a pair of runs to make it 8-0 and prompt Purdue's second pitching change of the game. Rice took over in the circle with bases loaded and one out and caught the next batter looking, before fielding a grounder to get out of the inning.
Krammer kept hope alive for Purdue with a leadoff double to the right center gap in the fifth. Gingerich slapped a single into left field to push Krammer over to third with one out. A caught foul ball and a liner to the third baseman kept the Boilermakers from scoring and extending the game.
The Boilermakers (27-27, 8-10 Big Ten) conclude regular season play with the 12th-consecutive non-losing season in program history. They must now await the conclusion of weekend Big Ten play to find their final spot in the conference standings. With the 8-10 mark, the team sits in sixth place, matching its 2009 finish. The team can finish no lower than seventh, which would occur if Penn State were to sweep Indiana this weekend and end the year at 9-11.