March 11, 2011
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Boilermaker bats pounded out 15 hits and held off a late rally by the Scarlet Knights in a 6-5 win over Rutgers on Friday. Senior Shelby Krammer went 3-for-3, while freshman Andie Varsho also rapped out three hits for Purdue.
Junior Molly Garst, sophomore Erika Petruzzi and freshman Tori Chiodo also contributed multi-hit efforts to the Boilermaker offensive barrage, which included hits from eight different batters.
Senior Suzie Rzegocki (10-2) picked up her 70th career win, just one shy of the Purdue standard, and struck out three in the complete-game effort. Abbey Houston, who allowed a run in three and two thirds innings of relief was saddled with the loss for Rutgers. Noelle Sisco gave up five runs in 2.1 innings for the Scarlet Knights in the start.
The Boilermakers got on the board in the opening stanza as Krammer launched her third home run of the season. The two-run shot to center came with two outs in the inning and Varsho waiting at first after reached on a base-hit.
Rutgers responded with a run on a hit in the second. A hit by pitch put Mikelyn Messina on base. She stole second and went to third on a ground out before scoring on Mickenzie Alden's single up the middle.
Purdue tallied a pair of hits to no avail in the second, but was able to tack on three runs in a five-hit effort in the third. Garst led off with a single to second base, kicking off a string of four straight Purdue singles, but was called for leaving first early on a steal attempt before she got any company on the basepaths. Varsho filled the spot at first with a single through the left side. McMillan and Krammer followed with knocks up the middle and to center field. Krammer's single brought Varsho in to score and gave Purdue runners at first and second. The Scarlet Knight right fielder dropped a can-of-corn foul ball in an at-bat that eventually saw freshman Danielle Fletcher walk. With the bases juiced, Petruzzi stepped to the plate and drove in two with a single up the middle. Petruzzi advanced to second on a would-be stolen base, but Fletcher was caught in a rundown while trying to score to nullify the scoring threat.
Another would-be run was snatched from the Boilermaker tally in the fourth. Freshman Lindsay Rains posted a one-out single, stole second and went to third on Varsho's single to left, but was tagged out in a close play at the plate.
The Scarlet Knights' capitalized on a Purdue error for a run in the fifth. A leadoff walk set up a fielder's choice play at second base, but the third baseman's throw over sailed into right center and allowed the runner to advance all the way around to score. Three straight outs capped the inning after the miscue.
Rutgers knotted the score at 5-5 with a three-run, three hit sixth. A pair of singles and a sacrifice put two runners in scoring position. The lead runner beat out a throw home on a fielder's choice to start the scoring . A ground out brought in another run, then an Alden single up the middle drove in the tying run. The Boilermakers rebounded with a run on three hits in the sixth. Chiodo doubled down the left field line and went to third on a wild pitch, before scoring the game winner on sophomore Ashley Courtney's single through the right side. Garst followed with a two-out single up the middle, but a liner to the shortstop prevented any further scoring.
The Scarlet Knights went down in order in the seventh on a pop up and two ground outs to cap the Boilermaker victory.
Purdue (13-4) returns to action at 9 a.m. Saturday when they take on Middle Tennessee.