March 24, 2012
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team swept its Big Ten opening doubleheader with Michigan State, rapping out 22 hits in the 10-4 and 8-4 victories on Saturday.
Freshman Lexy Moore (11-2) picked up a win in the first game after striking out nine in the compete-game effort, and a save in the second, after entering the game with the tying run at the plate in the seventh. Senior Katie Hackney (3-2) earned the game two victory in a relief effort.
Junior Erika Petruzzi led the Purdue bats with four hits in the contests, including a 3-for-4 effort in Game 2. Petruzzi also racked up four RBI and a run in the series. Senior Molly Garst was the lone Boilermaker with two hits in the first game, while junior Ashley Courtney and sophomores Andie Varsho and Tori Chiodo along with Petruzzi tallied multi-hit efforts in the night cap.
Game 1: Purdue 10, Michigan State 6
The Boilermakers put up 10 runs on nine hits and an error in Game 1, while allowing the Spartans six runs on nine hits and two errors. Senior Molly Garst went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Moore struck out a season-best 10 in the victory in the circle.
The Spartans scored first, capitalizing on a Boilermaker miscue in the opening stanza. Lori Padilla reached and went to third on a fielding error, setting up an RBI single for Kylene Hopkins.
Garst reached with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning. She swiped second, but was left stranded. The Boilermakers also got a base runner in the second as junior Ashley Courtney reached on a catcher's interference call and went to second on a ground ball, but could not score.
MSU added a run on a pair of hits in the third, scoring a runner from first on an RBI double to left center by Stephanie Sanders.
The Boilermakers got one run back with a sacrifice fly in the third. Sophomore Tori Chiodo drew a leadoff walk, went to second a Garst single and a sacrifice, before scoring on a sacrifice fly to left by sophomore Lindsey Rains.
Purdue took the lead and added some insurance with an eight run, seven hit fourth inning. The Boilermaker rally started with five straight hits, including a two-out double by Erika Petruzzi which kicked things off. Junior Maia Monchek brought Petruzzi home with a single to right center. Chiodo and Garst added singles to fill the bases for Varsho, who plated two with a single to left center. Rains walked to refill the bases for sophomore Danielle Fletcher, who picked up an RBI with a walk. Courtney cleared the bases with a triple to right and prompted an MSU pitching change. Freshman Ashley Burkhardt singled off the new pitcher, Shelby Wise, to bring Courtney home. A ground ball to the shortstop finally ended the inning.
Michigan State scored twice in the fifth on a pair of hits and an error. A fielding error and a bunt single set the table for Hopkins' two-run double.
The Boilermakers threatened but could not score Chiodo from third after she was hit by a pitch in the fifth.
The Spartans rallied for two more runs on three hits in the sixth, narrowing the gap to 9-6. A fielder's choice gave MSU a runner. A two-out pinch hit home run by Sarah Bowling accounted for the scores.
Purdue tacked on an insurance run in the sixth, combining a Rains double to left center, a wild pitch and a ground ball to the shortstop for a score.
MSU went down in order, including the final batter via strikeout, to seal the Purdue victory.
Purdue 8, Michigan State 4
The Boilermakers trailed 3-0 after two innings, but poured in eight runs over the next four innings to steal away an 8-4 victory and the doubleheader sweep.
Purdue plated eight runs on 13 hits and an error, while allowing Michigan State four runs on eight hits and two errors. Junior Erika Petruzzi was one of four batters with multiple hits in the contest, leading the way with a 3-for-4 effort, including four RBI.
Senior Katie Hackney (3-2) picked up the win, throwing two and a two thirds innings of relief of starter Alex Whittemore, who struck out two batters in the first three and two thirds innings. Freshman Lexy Moore finished off the game and picked up a save, striking out one in the final two third of an inning after coming in with the tying run at the plate.
MSU scored first, combining a pair of singles for a run in the first inning. A Stephanie Sanders single brought in a runner from second base with two outs in the inning.
Purdue put two in the bottom of the stanza, but could not push a run across after sophomore Andie Varsho singled and sophomore Danielle Fletcher walked.
The Spartans tacked on two runs on two hits and an error in the second. A single and two wild pitches set up the first score, which came on a fielder's choice play. With runners at first and third after another single, MSU drew a throw to second and pulled off a double steal for a score.
The Boilermakers had runners at the corners in the second, but came up empty. Petruzzi and Chiodo singled in the inning.
Purdue broke onto the scoreboard in the third on a Petruzzi double. The hit plated Rains, who doubled, and Courtney who reached on a fielder's choice. A fly out kept Petruzzi from coming home.
MSU got one run back in the fourth, combining two singles and a ground out. Jenny Ramsaier singled and went to second on a grounder before coming home on Hopkins' single to left. Hackney entered the game with runners at second and third and struck out the next batter to end the inning without further damage.
The Boilermakers took the lead and put the game out of reach with a five-run, five hit fourth inning. Junior Maia Monchek started things with a single. Chiodo joined pinch runner Gabi Brown by reaching safely on an error on a would-be sacrifice bunt. The pair moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, setting up Garst's RBI single to left center. Varsho brought in two more runs with a double to the center field wall. Rains walked prompting a Spartan change in the circle. Courtney hit a one-out single to load the bases for Petruzzi, who picked up two more RBI with a single to left. A fielder's choice and a foul out ended the rally.
Michigan State threatened, loading the bases in the sixth, but the Boilermaker defense held.
Purdue scored one final run in the sixth, capitalizing on a leadoff walk to Rains. A single by Fletcher pushed Rains to second, from which she scored on a double to right by Courtney. A pair of ground outs and a liner to left prevented further scoring.
The rain started coming down heavily in the seventh, but Purdue worked around it. After a strikeout and a single, a pair of walks loaded the bases. Moore took over in the circle and dispatched the next two batters with a strikeout and by laying out for a weak pop up on the infield to clinch the game.
The Boilermakers (17-9, 2-0 Big Ten) return to action at 1 p.m. Sunday for the third game of the series with the Spartans.