March 11, 2011
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Boilermaker softball team kicked off its stay at the FAU Parents' Weekend Classic with an 11-1 run-rule victory over the Buffalo Bulls Friday morning. Purdue racked up its 11 runs on 15 hits, including three home runs, while sophomore Erika Petruzzi allowed just three hits in the pitching victory.
Freshman first baseman Kim McMillan and rookie catcher Danielle Fletcher each went 3-for-3 to lead the Purdue bats, while junior Molly Garst, sophomore Ashley Courtney and freshman Andie Varsho each chipped in two hits.
Petruzzi moved to 1-1 on the season with the victory, allowing just three hits in 4.1 innings of work. Sophomore Julia Rice accounted for the final two outs in a relief effort for Purdue. Holly Johnson (1-3) was saddled with the loss for Buffalo in the game which saw four Bulls take to the circle.
The Boilermakers worked fast in the opening stanza, putting up two runs on three hits and an error, while prompting a Bulls pitching change. Garst lifted a fly ball into shallow center field which was caught and then dropped by the second baseman, allowing Garst to wind up at second. Varsho picked up the RBI with a triple to the left center wall. A single through the right side by McMillan made it 2-0 Purdue. Senior Shelby Krammer added a single. A double steal gave Purdue runners at second and third, but the Boilermakers were unable to bring them home.
Purdue went up 5-0 with a pair of long balls in the second. Garst tacked on two runs with a shot to center field. The round tripper drove in Fletcher who was on second after a single and a sacrifice. Varsho followed with a long ball of her own, a solo shot over the left field wall. McMillan added her second single of the game, but was left stranded by a pop up and strikeout.
Four runs on four hits and an error in the third put the Boilermakers up 9-0. Freshman Lindsey Rains drew a leadoff walk and stole second, setting the table for Fletcher's RBI double up the left field line. Courtney singled and went to second on the throw. Garst followed with a single up the middle, plating Fletcher. With runners at the corners, Garst stole second and drew a throw, which sailed into center field, allowing her to advance to third and Courtney to scurry home. Garst came home two batters later as McMillan doubled up the middle.
Fletcher deposited a two-run shot over the left field wall in the fourth to pad the Purdue lead. The hit scored freshman Tori Chiodo who was at second after a two-base throwing error by the shortstop. Courtney followed with a double but would not score.
Buffalo snapped the shutout with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. A two-out double started the offensive effort. A hit batsman gave the Bulls runners at the corner. A Sammi Gallardo single up the middle should have loaded the bases, but a fielding error by the center fielder allowed the run to score. A grounder to second base capped the inning.
The Boilermakers put a pair of runners on in the fifth on a McMillan walk and a single by freshman Lauren Grant, but could not add to their tally.
Petruzzi forced the first batter of the fifth to ground out, then Rice prompted a grounder back to herself and one to first base to seal the run-rule win.
Purdue (12-4) rounds up Day 1 of the FAU Classic with a 1 p.m. contest against Rutgers.