April 24, 1999
HAPPY VALLEY, Pa. - An eleven-hour bus ride proved problematic for the Purdue softball team. The Boilers arrived in Happy Valley, Pa., at 2:30 Saturday morning West Lafayette time and hit the field less then 12 hours later. The Nittany Lions (27-18, 8-7) took advantage and two games from Purdue (29-20, 8-8) in the days' double dipper. In game one, Purdue dropped a 2-1 heart breaker and fell again in game two 8-3.
"Penn State out played us today in every aspect of the game," Purdue coach Carol Bruggeman said. "I hope we can bounce back tomorrow."
To open game one Purdue fell behind 1-0 in the second inning, but managed to manufacture a run four innings later and knot the score. Sophomore Keely Povlitz started off the inning with a single and junior Skeeter Nixon moved Povlitz to second base with a beautiful bunt. Then with no outs, senior captain Sam Mercier singled to score the run.
It was not until the bottom half of the seventh inning, the score still tied, when the next run came across the plate. Penn State's Colleen Kersey sent a Nicole Crouse pitch over the centerfield fence for the games' winning run.
Crouse, a freshman, took the loss for Purdue, but gave up only three hits and sent three batters down on strikes. She is now 13-10 in her debut season.
In front of over 500 people, a Lady Lion Field record attendance number, the Boilers fell in game two. Purdue started the scoring spree, jumping ahead in the first inning with one run crossing the plate. The Nittany Lions rebounded by tying the score in the second, and adding four more an inning later and three more runs in the fourth.
Purdue tried to rally behind a 3-for-3 day at the plate by Nixon and a solid relief Pitching performance by junior Crystal Inman, but came up short. On the mound, Inman recorded 3.2 innings and allowed only one hit, while Nixon added two doubles to make her season total six.
"Skeeter has done a good job at the lead-off spot," coach Bruggeman said. "She has provided us with a nice spark!"
The Boilers will try to bounce back tomorrow and pick up a win as they close out their three-game series with Penn State. The first pitch will hit the mitt at 1 p.m.