March 14, 2013
HOUSTON, Texas - The Boilermaker softball team suffered another heartbreaking late-inning loss on Thursday as Houston plated two runs in the sixth inning to steal away a 3-1 win. The game wrapped up Purdue's spring break swing through Texas.
The Boilermakers managed one run on four hits and an error, while Houston put up its three runs on seven hits. Bailey Watts (7-2) struck out three in the win for the Cougars, while freshman Lilly Fecho (5-8) struck out batter in two innings of relief work in the loss. Sophomore Alex Whittemore also issued one strikeout in four innings of work.
Purdue posted the first hit of the game as junior Andie Varsho legged out a two-out bunt single. A fly ball left her stranded.
The Cougars put up a run in the bottom of the first. A leadoff single and a steal set the table for a pair of ground outs, which pushed in the run.
Senior Maia Monchek drew a leadoff walk in the second and was sacrificed to second, but the Boilermakers could not bring her home.
Houston stranded runners in the second, third, fourth and fifth, including four in scoring position as the Boilermaker defense held.
After having base runners erased in the fourth and fifth by fielder's choice plays, the Boilermakers finally got a runner past second base in the sixth, and found a way to capitalize. Junior Lindsey Rains led off with an infield single and advanced to third on a steal and a wild pitch. Junior Danielle Fletcher drew a one-out walk to put runners at the corners, when a botched catch by the third baseman on a pickoff attempt allowed Rains to scurry home. A couple of fielder's choice plays and a strikeout kept the Boilers from scoring a go-ahead run.
The Cougars regained the lead with a bases loaded single to right in the sixth. The hit plated two runs, but the batter was tagged out trying to stretch it into a double. A double, a walk and an all-hands safe fielder's choice play filled the bases.
The Boilermakers kept hope alive as sophomore Ashley Burkhardt laced a two-out double into left center in the seventh. A fly ball to deep center field left, however, capped the game.
Purdue (11-15) is set to return to action on Wednesday, March 20, at Loyola (Chicago).