May 12, 2010
URBANA, Ill. - Fielding woes and a lack of timely hits spelled trouble for the Boilermaker softball team in a 5-0 loss to No. 18 Illinois in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader.
The Fighting Illini managed five runs on six hits and an error, while allowing Purdue four hits. Senior Jenna Alexander, juniors Shelby Krammer and Suzie Rzegocki and freshman Erika Petruzzi accounted for the base knocks.
Monica Perry moved to 22-5 on the season with the win for the Illini, while Rzegocki (21-21) was saddled with the loss, despite allowing just one earned run.
The Fighting Illini put two runners to no avail in the first, but managed a score on two hits in the third. Danielle Vaji dropped a single into shallow left and advanced to third on a sacrifice and a grounder to first base. A high fly ball to right field then landed safely for a double, driving in the run. A grounder to first prevented further damage.
A catcher's interference call put senior Liane Horiuchi on first with one out in the fourth. Rzegocki gave Purdue its first hit with a perfectly place infield single toward first base. The pair advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice by Alexander, but a ground ball to second base kept the Boilermakers from driving in a run.
Illinois made it 5-0 with four unearned runs in the fourth. An two-out infield single got things started, then a throwing error by the shortstop extended the inning and put a second runner aboard. A walk filled the basepaths for Danielle Zymkowitz, who picked up two RBI with a single up the middle. Zymkowitz went to second on the throw home. Two more runs came in on a Hope Howell single up the middle. The Boilermakers threw Howell out at second to cap the inning.
Krammer sent a two-out single through the left side in the fifth and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but a strikeout left her stranded.
Alexander started a seventh-inning rally for Purdue with a leadoff double off the left center wall and was replaced on the basepaths by pinch runner Kayla Yates. Petruzzi followed with a double to deep left field. Yates, however, was out in a close play at the plate, as Petruzzi went on to third. A strikeout wrapped up the game.
The Boilermakers (27-26, 8-9 Big Ten) look to wrap up the regular season with a win in Game 2 of the twin bill with the Fighting Illini.