April 8, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Boilermaker bats were hot on Sunday as Purdue down Indiana softball 11-2 in the final game of the series. Purdue posted 17 hits in the game, including multi-hit efforts by six players.
Senior Molly Garst, sophomore Lindsey Rains and sophomore Tori Chiodo tallied three hits apiece, while juniors Ashley Courtney and Maia Monchek and freshman Ashley Burkhardt each chipped in two hits.
Freshman Lexy Moore (16-4) struck out three Hoosiers and allowed just two runs on six hits. Lora Olson was saddled with the loss for Indiana after giving up four runs in three innings of work. Meaghan Murphy threw four innings of relief to close the game.
The Boilermakers had their first chance for a score in the opening stanza as Garst reached on a leadoff bunt single and stole second. A pair of fly outs and a grounder to the pitcher kept Purdue from bringing her home.
Purdue had runners at the corners with two outs in the second, but failed to capitalize, stranding both with a fly ball. The Boilermakers tallied two hits in the stanza, by Courtney and Monchek, but a pair of fielder's choice plays and the fly out kept Purdue off the scoreboard.
The Hoosiers put two on with a walk and a bunt single in the second, but ran themselves out of a scoring opportunity as the lead runner tried to go to third on the hit. A pair of pop ups stranded the other runner.
The Boilermakers put their leadoff batter on for the third time in the game, but this time they were able to break onto the scoreboard with a second hit in the stanza. Garst laid down a bunt single, stole second and was sacrificed to third, setting the table for the RBI single through the left side by Rains. Rains was left on base by a pair of fly outs.
Purdue broke the game open with a five-run, six-hit fourth inning. Junior Erika Petruzzi made it 2-0 Boilermakers with a leadoff solo home run. The long ball was her third in two contests as she tied the school game record with two homers in Game 2 on Saturday. Monchek and Burkhardt add singles, prompting a Hoosier pitching change. The switch did not stop the Purdue bats as Chiodo added a single to fill the bases for Garst, who supplied a bases-clearing double to left center to make it 5-0. Garst moved to third on a ground out and scored on an RBI single by Rains.
Indiana made good on a two-out walk in the fourth, adding a single, before a double to center plated two runs.
The Boilermakers added three insurance runs on three hits and an error in the sixth. Chiodo doubled to start the inning and was joined by Garst, who walked, and Varsho, who singled, before being put out at the plate on a fielder's choice play. A sacrifice fly by sophomore Danielle Fletcher added one run. A single to center by Courtney brought in two more, the latter of which was declared unearned by way of a fielding miscue by the center fielder. A ground ball capped the inning.
Purdue tacked on two final runs in the seventh, combining a trio of hits for the scores. Burkhardt start things off with a double to left. She went to third on a single by Chiodo. Pinch runner Gabi Brown swiped second and Burkhardt scurried home as the catcher's throw sailed into center field. With runners at first and third after a ground out and Varsho walk, Rains made it 11-2 Boilermakers with a single to third base.
The Boilermakers (24-12, 7-2 Big Ten) return to action at 3 p.m. Thursday when they take on Ball State in a doubleheader in Muncie, Ind.