IU overcome by Purdue on senior day

IU would not succumb on its senior day without giving rival Purdue a hard fight, and it did so twice in a season-ending doubleheader Saturday.

The Boilermakers (29-18, 12-8) won the first contest 2-1 in eight innings and claimed the second game 8-7 in another eight-inning battle. Purdue now awaits its NCAA tournament fate as the Hoosiers (10-39, 4-16) bid farewell to six seniors and remain encouraged about their performance.

“We played hard,” IU coach Michelle Gardner said. “We’ve played hard all season long. We just couldn’t get the big thing to happen for us when we needed it to and they did. That’s been our story all season.”

The first game was largely a defensive struggle, with five straight scoreless innings for both teams. Purdue was the first on the scoreboard as third baseman Candace Curtis’ double into center field brought in baserunner Molly Garst in the top of the sixth.

IU avoided the loss in regulation in the bottom of the seventh when catcher Brittany Stein led off with a solo home run, her fifth of the season and first since a March 1 contest against Cal Poly, to tie the game at one run apiece and force extra frames.

The Boilermakers responded in the top of the eighth with Curtis’ second RBI of the game.

Curtis hit a single to bring in shortstop Liane Horiuchi, who got on base with a walk in what many fans considered a questionable call by the umpire.

The Hoosiers could not respond in the latter half of the inning, giving the first game to Purdue and handing IU pitcher Sara Olson her 14th loss of the season.

Senior members of both teams were recognized on the field in between the games, with Emily Bergeson, Monica Wright, Ashley Hobbs, Sarah Padove, Julie DiNallo and Stephanie Pellerito all making their final appearances for the Hoosiers.

The second contest got off to a much quicker start than the first, with Curtis batting in two runs in the top of the first and scoring on an IU error to put Purdue up 3-0 early. IU was able to load the bases in the bottom of the inning with one out, but two straight pop fly catches in the infield left the runners stranded.

Curtis batted in two more Purdue runs in the top of the second to put the lead at 5-0.
IU was able to score two runs in the bottom of the inning as center fielder Kelsey Stander hit a double to cut Purdue’s lead to three runs.

Purdue took control in the fourth and fifth innings, posting two one-run innings to move up 7-2. IU cut the lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth as Olson hit a two-run home run.

The Hoosiers were able to hold the Boilermakers in the sixth and then tied the game at seven with a two-run homer by senior shortstop Emily Bergeson, her seventh of the season and the 16th of her career, and an RBI single by designated hitter Jennifer Glueckert.

Neither team was able to score in the seventh, and the game went to an eighth inning just as the previous contest had done. Curtis scored the game-winning run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly, and IU could not retaliate in the bottom of the inning, giving Purdue its second straight victory, 8-7.

Gardner attributed IU’s three errors to the outcome of the second game.

“We had enough hits,” she said. “We should win with (14) hits. You just can’t win with that many errors.”

Still, Gardner is optimistic about the future of the program.

“We played a tough schedule,” she said. “We’re going to get some athletes in here. I’m ready (for next season).”

Bergeson shared Gardner’s enthusiasm.

“I wish I would have had (Gardner) as my coach for all three years I was here,” Bergeson said. “She’ll get us to where other teams say, ‘It’s IU,’ instead of, ‘It’s just IU.’”