Feb. 13, 2011
BATON ROUGE, La. - The Boilermaker softball team put together a seventh-inning rally, but it was not enough to overtake No. 19 LSU on Sunday. The Tigers won the game 6-2.
Purdue managed two runs on seven hits, while allowing six runs on seven hits and an error. Freshman Tori Chiodo led the Boilermaker bats with a 2-for-3 effort including a double, while rookie Lauren Grant launched a home run.
Brittany Mack (2-0) picked up the win for LSU, while senior Suzie Rzegocki (2-1) was saddled with the decision for Purdue. Rzegocki struck out one and walked four in 1.2 innings. Grant took over in the circle, striking out one batter and allowing just one walk in 4.1 innings.
The Tigers tallied the first hit of the game with a two-out double in the first, but the runner was tagged out at third trying to stretch the double into a triple.
LSU scored two runs on a hit and five walks in the second. The Tigers loaded the bases with three consecutive walks to start the inning. A sacrifice fly put LSU on the board, but the Boilermakers pulled off the double play, tossing out the runner trying to advance to third. A single and a walk filled the basepaths for LSU once again. Relief pitcher Lauren Grant took over in the circle with two balls on the next batter. A walk followed, but Grant escaped further damage by forcing a pop foul to first base.
The Tigers cashed in again in the third, scoring four runs on three hits and an error. An RBI triple accounted for the first two runs. A bad-hopping single to first base scored the next, then a fielding error by the shortstop brought home the fourth making it 6-0 LSU.
The Boilermakers got their first base runner as freshman Andie Varsho reached on a one-out walk in the fourth. Sophomore Erika Petruzzi joined Varsho with a single to the shortstop. A fielder's choice gave Purdue runners at the corners, but a grounder to third base thwarted the scoring opportunity.
Purdue managed two hits in the fifth, but could not convert them into a run. Chiodo sent a sharp one-out single into left, then classmate Kim McMillan followed suit by roping a single through the left side. A strikeout and a grounder to third ended the inning.
Varsho legged out an infield single to start the sixth, then stole second and third, but could not make it home. A fly out, a strike out and a grounder to the pitcher kept Purdue off the scoreboard.
The Boilermakers jumped onto the scoreboard in the seventh as Grant launched a no-doubter home run to dead center field. Junior Molly Garst came through with a two-out single to the shortstop, to drive in Chiodo from third. A fielder's choice play at second capped the game.
Purdue (2-2) returns to action on Saturday, when it faces off with Texas State at the Century Link Classic in San Marcos, Texas.