April 3, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.--The Penn State softball team fell to Purdue on Saturday afternoon by a score of 5-0 at the Varsity Softball Complex. Danee Collett (Orange, Calif.) paced the Nittany Lions at the plate with her fifth multi-hit effort in the past six games.
In the first, second and third innings, the Nittany Lions put two base runners on first and second, but couldn't drive either home. Collett continued her hitting ways with an opposite field, two-out double and Johnson walked, but a ground out ended the early threat in the first.
In the second, Lauren Rossi (Yardley, Pa.) and Mary Ostman (Northbrook, Ill.) were stranded before Collett and Kailyn Johnson's (Yorba Linda, Calif.) double-walk combination again went for naught, this time in the third inning. Collett's 3-for-3 day gave her the fifth multi-hit game in the past six games and tied her career-high with the three hits.
Meanwhile, in the circle, Jackie Hill (San Jose, Calif.) was stranding her fair share of Boilermakers on base as she left two on in the first and another in the second. The Lions ran into trouble in the fourth when Hill plunked Ashley Courtney and a fielding error allowed Elizabeth Allum to reach first base. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners over a base, starting pitcher Suzie Rzegocki ripped her first collegiate homer of the season for a 3-0 Purdue lead.
The Nittany Lions got a two-out rally started in the fifth when Collett hit a long single off the left field wall and Johnson's single moved her to third. Unfortunately, a ground out ended the threat and with the Boilers leading by three.
In the bottom of the fifth, Hill served up another home run, this time a solo shot to Molly Garst to left field. It was Garst's second homer of the season and gave Purdue a 4-0 lead. The Lions would try to respond in the sixth after a Rossi single and a sacrifice advanced her to second base, but Rzegocki induced a two-out ground out to end it.
Purdue added another run in the sixth inning when Jenna Alexander belted one to straightaway centerfield for a five-run advantage. Penn State couldn't muster a charge in the top of the seventh inning, stranding the 10th runner of the day, and Purdue ended Saturday with its eighth straight win over the Nittany Lions.
The game, which was slated for a 4:00 p.m. first pitch, delayed the game by 54 minutes due to thunderstorms and accompanying heavy rain.
The Nittany Lions return to action on Sunday when they take on Purdue in the second half of the two-game series. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. as the game will have live stats on GameTracker and free live streaming audio through PurdueSports.com and Stretch Internet. Live commentary will also be available through Twitter (@PSULionSoftball).
--NITTANY LIONS--