March 14, 2011
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Purdue outhit the Owls and senior pitcher Suzie Rzegocki registered four Ks, but an unearned run in the fourth inning was enough to lift FAU to a 1-0 victory in Game 2 of Monday's doubleheader.
The Boilermakers managed seven hits and FAU committed three errors, while the Owls scored their one run on five hits and three Purdue miscues. Junior Molly Garst went 3-for-4 and sophomore Erika Petruzzi added two hits for the Boilermakers. Garst also stole a base in the game, tying her for first place with Liane Horiuchi (2009-10) on the career steals list with 85.
Rose Gressley (7-7) picked up the win for FAU, while Fawbush earned the save with two innings of scoreless relief. Rzegocki (11-6) went the distance for Purdue, but was saddled with the loss.
Purdue put a runner on in every inning and stranded at least one runner in all but the first stanza.
Garst singled, but was caught stealing in the first. Petruzzi singled but was called for leaving early in the second. Freshman Danielle Fletcher's singled later in the inning and went to second on an error by the shortstop, but was left stranded.
Garst posted another single in the third and stole second, but could not score. In the fourth, a Petruzzi single and a wild pitch gave the Boilermakers another opportunity.
FAU failed to convert with a runner on third after an error in the third inning, but made the Boilermakers pay for a fourth-inning miscue. A fielding error by the first baseman and a single put runners on base to start the stanza. A liner to third base gave Purdue the second out of the inning, but a throwing error on the back half of an attempted double play as the runners were returning to the bags allowed the run to score.
Purdue was unable to capitalize in the fifth after FAU walked freshman Tori Chiodo and two sacrifices moved her to third. In the sixth inning, a fielding error and a walk put Petruzzi and Fletcher aboard with two outs, but a fielder's choice play at third left two stranded. The Owls left two more runners on in the fifth after a pair of singles and stranded a runner at third in the sixth, leaving the score at 1-0 entering the final inning.
The Boilermakers had one final shot in the seventh after a pair of singles and a walk put freshman Lindsey Rains , Garst and Varsho on base with two outs. A strikeout thwarted the Purdue rally.
Purdue (14-7) return to action at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when they take on Buffalo in Ft. Myers, Fla.