March 16, 2012
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Boilermaker softball team took a back-and-forth battle with the San Diego State Aztecs, combining two hits for the game-winner in the seventh Friday morning.
Purdue scored its six runs on eight hits and three SDSU errors. The Aztecs managed five runs on nine hits. Sophomore Danielle Fletcher and junior Erika Petruzzi led the Boilermaker bats with two hits apiece.
Freshman Lexy Moore (10-2) earned the complete-game victory for the Boilermakers. Relief pitcher Bailey Micetich (7-5) was saddled with the loss after four and two thirds innings of relief work.
The Boilermakers scored early as sophomore Andie Varsho connected on a two-run shot to center field in the opening stanza. The long ball plated sophomore Lindsey Rains, who was on third after drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second and going to third on a ground out.
The Aztecs tied it up at 2-2 with two runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff single and a sacrifice set the table for the first score, which came as Justeen Maeva singled through the right side. Maeva went to second on the throw home. Patrice Jackson plated Maeva's pinch runner with a single to left. A pair of fielder's choice plays, one at the plate, ended the inning.
Purdue capitalized on an SDSU miscue for a run in the second. Freshman Ashley Burkhardt reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and advanced to third on a wild pitch and ground out, setting up an RBI single to left by Petruzzi. Sophomore Tori Chiodo joined Petruzzi with a one-out walk, but the pair was left stranded by a fly out and grounder.
The Boilermakers took advantage of another Aztec error in the third. Fletcher reached on a one-out walk and went to third on a sacrifice by junior Ashley Courtney, which saw the first baseman overthrow the bag. Courtney stole second to put two in scoring position for Burkhardt, who brought Fletcher in with a grounder. Purdue couldn't get Courtney home from third as another ground out ended the inning.
SDSU made it 4-3 with a run on two hits in the fourth. A fielder's choice play at the plate nullified a one-out triple. The runner who reached on the fielder's choice, however, scored on a double to right center by the next batter.
Smart base running helped Purdue get a run in the fifth. Senior Molly Garst led off with a high bouncing single over the pitcher. She stole second and went to third on Fletcher's single to left. Pinch runner MaryBeth Pavlick drew a throw on the back end of a double-steal attempt. She stopped midway to second as Garst scurried home. Pavlick then swiped second as the Aztecs fired home too late. A strikeout out and grounder left Pavlick stranded.
The Aztecs capitalized on a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning. The runner went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Maeva sacrifice fly to center.
The Boilermakers put two runners on in the sixth on singles by Petruzzi and Chiodo, but could not bring them home.
San Diego State tied the score at 5-5, capitalizing on a leadoff walk in the sixth. Kayla Jordan drew a leadoff walk, was sacrificed to second and went to third on a wild pitch, before coming home on a sacrifice fly.
Purdue clinched the victory with a run on two hits and an error in the seventh. Fletcher sent a one-out single into shallow right center. A double off the left center wall by Courtney brought her home from first. A two-out fielding error gave the Boilermakers runners at first and second, but they would not score again.
The Aztecs went down in order on a pop up, a fly out and a liner to the pitcher to give Purdue the win.