Michigan State University
Purdue
Spartans Drop Conference Doubleheader At Purdue
4/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 22, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Michigan State softball team (24-23, 2-8 Big Ten) suffered a doubleheader sweep against Purdue (28-29-1, 5-7 Big Ten) in conference play on Sunday. Purdue won by scores of 4-3 and 8-6. Meghan Darhower tallied one home run in each side of the doubleheader, while Caitlin Mahoney also delivered a long ball for the Spartans.
Junior pitcher Lesley Noel started in the circle in game one for the Spartans, allowing four hits and four earned runs. She fell to 6-5 on the year with the loss. Sophomore Megan Hair allowed just one hit in three innings of relief work for the Spartans.
Purdue senior Brooke Baker (21-15), who left the game with two outs in the sixth due to injury, allowed seven hits and one earned run in the victory. Sophomore Ashley DiDomenico tossed one inning in relief to earn her first save of the season.
Sophomore catcher Kara Weigle led the Spartans in game one with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, while she halted two Boilermaker steal attempts in the field, both in the sixth inning. Meghan Darhower delivered her second home run of the weekend, while Dayna Feenstra, Nicole Mercado and Nikki Nicosia each contributed two hits for the Spartans.
Purdue jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in game one, as Katie Mitchell drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the first and scored on an RBI single by Candace Curtis. Curtis crossed the plate on a single to right by Jenna Alexander, and DaQueta Johnson delivered a standup triple with two runners on for the four-run advantage.
The Purdue lead held at four until State scored its lone run of the contest in the top half of the sixth. Nicole Mercado and Nikki Nicosia delivered back-to-back singles with one out in the frame. Baker struck out pinch hitter Kelly Confer, and Weigle followed with a single to load the bases. Purdue hurler Ashley DiDomenico replaced Baker in the circle before Traci Nicosia drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Mercado to pull the Spartans within three at 4-1.
With no outs in the Spartan seventh, Noel replaced Feenstra on the bases after a single to center and Darhower followed with a two-run homer to pull MSU within one at 4-3. Mondo and Mercado reached on consecutive singles, but the Boilermaker defense recorded three straight outs to close the 4-3 victory.
State scored three runs on 11 hits and committed two miscues in the field, while Purdue posted four runs on five hits and tallied no errors.
Noel (6-6) started in the circle for the Spartans in game two, where she allowed 10 hits in six innings of work. Hair allowed two hits and one earned run in one inning of relief.
DiDomenico improved to 7-13 for the year in the circle for the Boilermakers. She allowed eight hits and six earned runs in five innings of work. Baker earned her first save of the season, allowing no hits in two innings.
Darhower tallied her second home run of the day and Mahoney added a three-run shot for the Spartans at the plate. Weigle and Nikki Nicosia each turned in a two-hit effort in the loss.
Purdue scored two runs in the top half of the opening frame, but Caitlin Mahoney delivered a three-run homer in the bottom half of the inning for a 3-2 Spartan upperhand. The blast was her fourth of the weekend and team-leading 10th of the season.
Purdue added one run in the third on an RBI double by Ashley Hall to tie the game at 3-3, but State regained the 5-3 lead in the fourth behind a two-run shot by Darhower. The long ball was her second of the day and fifth of the season.
Weigle tallied her sixth home run of the season in the fifth to push the lead to 6-3, but Purdue shortstop Candace Curtis hit a grand slam in the top half of the sixth, and Ashley Hall tallied an RBI single in the seventh for the deciding 8-6 advantage.
State scored six runs on eight hits and committed three errors in the field. Purdue scored eight runs on 12 hits and played a flawless defensive game.
Michigan State travels to Oakland University on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
