April 14, 2013
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Seven players contributed hits as the Boilermaker softball team came back from a midgame Hoosier rally to pick up a 7-3 win and Purdue's first season sweep of Indiana since 2009.
Purdue scored its seven runs on nine hits and three IU miscues, while allowing Indiana three runs on eight hits and an error. Sophomore Ashley Burkhardt and junior Lindsey Rains led the Boilermaker bats with two hits apiece.
Freshman Lilly Fecho (8-12) struck out three in four and two thirds innings of relief work en route to the win, while sophomore Lexy Moore issued one K in two and a third innings. Starter Lora Olson (6-9) was saddled with the loss for Indiana, while Brooke Boetjer pitched the final three innings for the Hoosiers.
The Boilermakers broke onto the scoreboard just four batters into the game, combining singles by Rains and Danielle Fletcher. Rains poked a one-out single to the shortstop and swiped second, setting up the RBI chance for Fletcher, who came through with a single to shallow center field.
The Hoosiers threatened in the second, loading the bases on a trio of singles, but a fly ball wrapped up the stanza.
Purdue added a run on hit and an error in the third. Senior Ashley Courtney reached on a throwing error by the catcher after bunting. She went to second as Burkhardt legged out a bunt single. A sacrifice pushed the pair into scoring position for junior Andie Varsho, who plated Courtney with a ground ball to the shortstop. Another ground out left Burkhardt stranded at third.
Indiana scored three runs on two hits and an error in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff walk and a single set up a fielder's choice play at third base. After the play, a rundown allowed Hoosier runners to advance to second and third. A throwing error on a fielder's choice play at the plate allowed the first score. Another fielder's choice and a single brought in two more runs.
The Boilermakers vaulted back into the lead with a trio of runs on three hits in the fourth. A Paris Andrew RBI double to right center with two aboard tied the game. The hit followed a one-out walk to junior Tori Chiodo and a single by senior Maia Monchek. Monchek slid around a tag at the plate as Courtney reached on a fielder's choice. Courtney then swiped second to put two in scoring position for Rains, who answered the RBI call with a single to right field. The Boilers tried to pull off a double steal for another score, but Rains was caught in a rundown to end the inning.
Purdue capitalized on a pair of Indiana miscues in the fifth, scoring on the second mistake to go ahead 6-3. A fielding error put Varsho on base to start the inning. She swiped second and was sacrificed over to third, before scoring on a fielding miscue that put Chiodo aboard.
Burkhardt reached on a two-out infield single in the sixth, but the Boilermakers were unable to add to their lead.
Varsho gave Purdue an insurance run in the seventh, lifting a leadoff home run over the wall in left center. Chiodo added a two-out triple, but was left stranded.
Fecho forced three straight ground outs in the seventh to clinch the win and the sweep.
The Boilermakers (19-22, 6-6) return to action at 5 p.m. Wednesday when they take on Penn State in a doubleheader in State College, Pa., live on the Big Ten Network.