April 7, 2011
VALPARAISO, Ind. - In sports, there is typically a winner and a loser in every game. Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader was proof that there is an exception for every rule as the teams played to a darkness-shortened 4-4 tie. As rare as ties are in softball, the occurrence is not the first between the Boilermakers and Crusaders. The teams also played to a 4-4 tie back on April 19, 2005, although that game was played to nine innings before darkness forced the end.
Thursday's contest saw both teams register four runs on nine hits and an error. Junior Molly Garst and freshmen Andie Varsho and Kim McMillan tallied two hits apiece for Purdue. McMillan and freshman Lauren Grant each launched a home run for the Boilermakers.
Sophomore Erika Petruzzi started the game in the circle and threw one inning before being relieved by junior Katie Hackney, who registered four strikeouts and allowed just four hits over the final four stanzas. Sam McGee threw all five innings for Valparaiso.
The Boilermakers got on the board first with a run on three hits in the opening stanza. Garst led off with a single to left and stole second. Varsho followed with a bunt single, pushing Garst to third. Varsho stole second and senior Shelby Krammer drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Petruzzi singled through the right side, plating Garst, but Varsho was tagged out in a close play at the plate to prevent Purdue from going up 2-0. A strikeout accounted for the third out of the inning.
Valparaiso answered with a pair of runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning. A double and a sacrifice gave the Crusaders a runner at third. A Sara Strickland double tied the game and a Jordan Rutkowski single gave Valpo the lead.
Purdue threatened in the second with runners at second and third, but could not manage a score. Grant earned a leadoff free pass and was sacrificed to second. A Garst single up the middle pushed Grant to third. Garst swiped second, but a grounder to the shortstop thwarted the scoring threat.
Hackney took over in the circle with a runner on first and nobody out in the second. She promptly sat down two batters on strikeouts and a third on a ground out.
Krammer registered a one-out single in the third, but a double play kept Purdue from converting.
McMillan and Grant gave Purdue the lead with back-to-back jacks to start the fourth. Both solo shots were no-doubters to left center.
Valparaiso regained the advantage with two runs on two hits and an error in the bottom of the inning. The Crusaders combined a double, a single and an error for the first score. With a runner on second, Jill Jacobson managed an infield single. The throw to first sailed, allowing the run. A wild pitch moved to Jacobson to third, from which she scored on a sacrifice fly.
As the fifth inning began, the umpires announced it would be the last of the game due to impending darkness. The Boilermakers heeded the call to action as Varsho started the stanza with a single to the shortstop. A sac bunt pushed her to second. A fielding error by the third baseman put Krammer on base. A fielder's choice play at third allowed pinch runner MaryBeth Pavlick to advance to second and put Petruzzi on at first. McMillan sent an RBI single up the middle, plating Pavlick. Petruzzi rounded third to try to give Purdue the lead, but was tagged out at home for the Boilermakers' final out.
Valparaiso tapped a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the inning. A fielder's choice play at third base wrapped up the game in a tie.
Purdue (24-8-1) returns to action at 3 p.m. Saturday when it faces No. 4 Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., live on the Big Ten Network.