May 4, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Iowa Hawkeyes used a pair of eighth inning runs to win a pitchers' duel with the Boilermaker softball team on Saturday, taking the game 2-0 for their second extra-inning win in as many days.
Iowa scored its two runs on eight hits and two errors, while the Boilermakers managed five hits in the game and received help from two Hawkeye miscues. Junior Lindsey Rains led the Purdue bats with a 2-for-4 effort. Iowa stranded 10 runners in the game, while the Boilers left nine runners aboard, including at least one in each inning.
Kayla Massey (16-12) earned the complete-game victory for Iowa, while freshman Lilly Fecho (8-16) struck out five in the loss for Purdue. Sophomore Lexy Moore threw the final two thirds of an inning for the Boilermakers.
Sophomore Ashley Burkhardt laced a two-out single through the right side for the game's first hit. She went to second on a wild pitch, but the Boilers could not bring her home.
Purdue put two on in the second, but did not score. Senior Maia Monchek had a two-out infield single and senior Erika Petruzzi joined her with a walk, but a ground out left the pair stranded.
Iowa got its first hit in the third inning, but was unable to cash in on the leadoff single.
Rains tallied her first hit of the day with a one-out single to left center in the bottom of the third. She swiped second and advanced to third on a ground out, but was left stranded by another ground ball on the infield.
After forcing the Hawkeyes to leave a runner at second in the fourth, Purdue followed suit in the bottom of the inning, leaving junior Tori Chiodo in scoring position after a leadoff single and a steal.
Iowa threatened in the fifth, but the Boilermaker defense held, forcing the Hawkeyes to waste a pair of runners in scoring position. Fecho struck out the final batter in the inning, pitching around a single and a walk.
Rains singled again in the fifth, poking a two-out hit into left field. She then swiped second and went to third as the catcher's throw sailed into centerfield. Massey forced another infield grounder to end the scoring threat.
The Boilers had runners at the corners in the sixth, but could not break onto the scoreboard. A throwing error put Chiodo on and freshman Paris Andrew drew a walk to join her. A fielder's choice play put runners at the corners, but a ground ball to the shortstop kept Purdue from capitalizing on the scoring chance.
The defense overcame a seventh-inning miscue to strand two Hawkeye runners in the seventh, but the Boilermaker bats could not convert as junior Andie Varsho drew a one-out walk in the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
Iowa snapped the scoreless tie in the eighth, stringing together a trio of hits. A leadoff single, and a pair of doubles accounted for the scores, the second of which was unearned due to a dropped foul ball. Moore took over in the circle with runners at the corners and one out. She forced a fielder's choice play at the plate and a foul out to get out of the inning.
Purdue went down in order in the final stanza on a strikeout, a ground ball to the pitcher and a pop up on the infield to cap the game.
The Boilermakers look to end the regular season with a win in the series finale against the Hawkeyes at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. Senior Day festivities will begin promptly at 12:50, so get there early and don't miss your chance to celebrate seniors Ashley Courtney, Maia Monchek and Erika Petruzzi in their final home game.