Ball State University
Purdue (DH)
Softball Drops Doubleheader To Purdue Wednesday
April 22, 2010 | Softball
GAME 1 - Purdue 6, Ball State 4
With neither team able to score in the first inning of game one, Ball State quickly loaded the bases in the second inning as Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana) was hit by Suzie Rzegocki's pitch. Next up, Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon) singled to advance Carpenter to second base. Then, Rzegocki hit the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week, Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro) with a pitch that would take Wilczynski out of play for the day. With the bases loaded, Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) reached on a fielder's choice that saw Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon) tagged out on third and Carpenter safely home for the first run of the game.
No other runs would score in the inning, however, and three Cardinals were left on base.
Purdue began its rally in the fourth inning when Molly Garst scored on an error by catcher Sadie Robertson (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit). The Boilermakers took the lead when Jenna Alexander, representing a walk from Elizabeth Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), was batted in by Erika Petruzzi.
Down by one run for two innings, the Cardinals scored three runs in the sixth to regain their early lead. Carpenter got things started for the second time in the game by singling to left field and then advancing to second on a throwing error by Purdue's leftfielder Petruzzi. Carpenter then tallied her second run of the game on an error charged to third baseman Garst when Kristy Stratton (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw) reached first on a fielder's choice and Collins, who was walked on the previous play, advanced to second. With two runners on base, Meredith Nash (Peculiar, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar) singled to right field to drive in Collins and advance Stratton to third. Then, Robertson grounded out to second base to drive in Stratton on the play.
Ball State was unable to hold its lead past Purdue's lead-off batter in the next inning, however, as Rzegocki slugged her first of three home runs in the doubleheader. Then, Kristen Allen reached on an error by shortstop Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City) and advanced to second on the play. Garst would drive in the game-tying run for Purdue as her single to right field scored Allen.
With one hit and two left on base in the seventh inning, Ball State was unable to score and the game continued into extra innings which proved fruitful for the Boilermakers who scored two runs in the top of the eighth. The first run was scored by Petruzzi on a wild pitch by Milian and the second on an RBI single courtesy of Ashley Courtney.
The eighth inning for the Cardinals' offense foreshadowed their play in game two. First batter popped up, second batter flied out and third batter struck out swinging.
Milian was charged with the loss and is now 20-5 this season, while Purdue's Rzegocki improved to 17-17 on the mound for the Boilermakers.
GAME 2: Purdue 7, Ball State 0
Purdue's Rzegocki was on track for a no-hitter in the second game until Jessie Ware (Phoenix, Ariz./Hamilton) notched Ball State's only hit of the game in the sixth inning. Ware's double was too little, too late, however, for the Cardinals who trailed Purdue 7-0 in the fifth.
Hitting three-for-four in game two and tallying two home runs and an RBI single, there was no question that Rzegocki was the dominant batter for the Boilermakers in this game. Purdue also set its school record for single season steals and Horiuchi claimed the school's career title for stolen bases. Throughout the doubleheader, Purdue tallied five steals on five attempts.
Ball State's Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) was given the loss and she is now 6-7 this season, while Rzegocki etched another win for an 18-17 record in the circle.
The Cardinals return to the BSU Softball Complex Friday in a doubleheader against Mid-American Conference opponent Bowling Green beginning at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available on www.ballstatesports.com and inning-by-inning updates provided by @BallStSoftball on Twitter. Also, the second game which will begin at approximately 3 p.m. can be heard on local radio 91.3 WCRD.
