Feb. 10, 2013
BATON ROUGE, La. - The Boilermaker softball team ended the weekend on a positive note issuing a 5-0 shutout to Tulsa Sunday morning to wrap up play at the LSU Tiger Classic.
Purdue scored its five runs on seven hits and two errors, while holding Tulsa scoreless on four hits and two errors. Junior Andie Varsho led the Boilermaker bats with a 2-for-4 outing and two runs scored. Purdue also forced Tulsa to strand seven runners in the game, including four in scoring position, in the contest.
Sophomore Lexy Moore struck out two batters in five innings of work, en route to the victory for Purdue, while freshman Lilly Fecho issued two Ks in two innings of relief action. Caitlin Sill (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Tulsa, allowing four earned runs in a complete game effort.
Tulsa stranded four runners, including two in scoring position, over the first three innings, leaving runners at first and third in the first, a runner at first in the second and one at second in the third inning.
The Boilermakers got their first baserunners in the third, but could not score. Senior Ashley Courtney was hit by a pitch, then sophomore Gabi Brown reached on a bunt single. Courtney swiped third, but a snazzy catch turned into a double play to end the inning.
Sophomore Ashley Burkhardt took advantage of a base-loaded RBI opportunity in the fourth, lacing a double to the right center gap to put Purdue up 2-0. The one-out hit followed a single by Varsho, an all-hands safe fielder's choice for senior Erika Petruzzi and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt, which put pinch runner Mary Gooding at first. Courtney drew a walk to fill the bases once again, but a pair of caught foul balls kept the Boilermakers from adding to their lead.
Tulsa failed to convert on another scoring opportunity in the fifth, after a fielder's choice and a steal put a runner at second. A pop up kept the shutout intact.
Purdue added to its advantage with a three-run, four-hit fifth inning. Rains and Varsho singled to get things started. Petruzzi laid down a bunt single and went to second on the wild throw to first, which also allowed Rains to score. With runners at second and third, junior Danielle Fletcher lasered a single to center field to bring two more runs in. A ground ball pushed Fletcher to second, but she was unable to score.
The Purdue defense held in the sixth despite giving up a pair of walks to start the stanza, which prompted freshman Lilly Fecho to take over in the circle. A single could have spelled trouble for the Boilermakers, but Varsho gunned down the lead runner trying to score from second and Fletcher held on at the plate despite an impending collision. A pop up and grounder rounded out the inning.
Fecho sat the Golden Hurricane down in order in the seventh to clinch the win, including a pair of strikeouts.
The Boilermakers (2-3) return to action on Feb. 15 at the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. Purdue is just one win away from program victory No. 600.