April 24, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team topped Valparaiso 4-2 on Wednesday despite being outhit in the contest. Purdue had help from four extra-base hits including an Andie Varsho home run in the victory.
The Boilermakers managed four runs on nine hits and an error, while Valparaiso put up two runs on 11 hits. Junior Lindsey Rains led the Purdue bats with a 3-for-3 effort, while senior Maia Monchek tallied two hits.
Sophomore Lexy Moore (10-10) struck out three batters and did not allow a walk in the complete-game victory, while Taylor Weissenhofer (12-10) struck out seven Boilermakers in the loss for Valpo.
Rains tallied the first hit of the game, leading off the Boilermaker first inning with a single, but she was later caught stealing.
Valparaiso stranded two runners in the second inning, wasting a pair of one-out singles, and left another runner in scoring position in the third innings, failing to capitalize on a one-out double.
Purdue had its first scoring chance in the fourth as Rains and sophomore Ashley Burkhardt started the stanza with back-to-back singles. A ground ball to second base moved the pair into scoring position, but the Valparaiso defense forced a strikeout and fly out to keep the game tied at 0-0.
The Boilermakers broke onto the scoreboard with a trio of hits in the fifth. Monchek bounced a one-out single up the first baseline and her pinch runner, Gabi Brown, was sacrificed over to second. A single to shallow center field by senior Ashley Courtney brought in the run. Rains followed with a double to shallow left, but the Boilers could not add to the 1-0 lead.
Valparaiso went up 2-1 on four singles and a ground out in the sixth. The Crusaders started the stanza with four straight singles, plating a run on a bases loaded swinging bunt. With bases still full, an infield grounder added a second run. Another ground out left two aboard and brought Purdue to the plate.
Junior Andie Varsho knotted the score with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the inning, lifting a towering home run to dead center field. Junior Danielle Fletcher then reached on an error by the first baseman. Pinch runner MaryBeth Pavlick went to third on a sacrifice and a ground out, before coming home on a Monchek double to left field. Senior Erika Petruzzi gave the team another insurance run, trading places with Monchek on a double to the centerfield wall.
The Crusaders threatened in the seventh inning, loading the bases, but the Boilermaker defense held after allowing a leadoff double, a two-out single and a hit by pitch. A weak ground ball just in front of the plate gave Purdue the final out.
The Boilermakers (22-25) return to action at 5 p.m. ET Friday when they kick off a three-game series against the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Ill. All three games of the series will be broadcast on BTN.com and are available with a subscription to Purdue All-Access.