The Gophers seek their first win since March 27 in a Sunday afternoon contest against Purdue, which stole nine bases in a 7-0 win on Saturday. Minnesota enters on a 12-game losing streak, which matches the longest in program history. There is a fair amount of wind again today after a blustery contest yesterday.
Final – The Gophers go quietly in order to end the series and extend the longest losing streak in program history to 13 games. Purdue: 11 runs, 10 hits, 2 errors, 5 left on base. Gophers: 2 runs, 3 hits, 3 errors, 4 left on base. Win – Rzegocki (21-19). Loss – Koch (0-19). Attendance: 267 Time: 1:59.
Top 6th – A pair of two-out, two-run singles by Rzegocki and Barr extended the Boilermakers’ lead and put the mercy rule into play. Minnesota must score twice this inning to keep the game going. PURDUE 11, GOPHERS 2.
Bottom 5th – Four straight Gophers reached to start the inning. Carls hit a sharp grounder to third, Neal singled up the middle, and Skrove singled to left. Dorle followed with an opposite-field two-run double off the right field wall. Rzegocki walked the bases loaded with two outs and was taken out. The left-handed Petruzzi was put in to face the left-handed Barnes with the tying run on deck, but Barnes grounded into a fielder’s choice at third base to end the inning. PURDUE 7, GOPHERS 2.
Top 5th – Garst led off with a double, her fourth hit of the series and stole third before scoring on a fielder’s choice. Petruzzi had her fourth hit – and second extra-base hit today – of the series on a two-run double to left-center field. PURDUE 7, GOPHERS 0.
Top 4th – Petruzzi hit a leadoff triple to right center, and Barr followed with an RBI single for her first hit of the series. PURDUE 4, GOPHERS 0.
Top 3rd – The Boilermakers took advantage of three Gophers errors to score a pair of unearned runs. Allum reached to lead off the inning when Davis mishandled a grounder and advanced to third on Watts’ throwing error on Garst’s sacrifice. Garst stole second, and the throw got away from Howard, allowing Allum to score. Rzegocki had the game’s first solid hit on a two-out RBI double to right center. PURDUE 3, GOPHERS 0.
Top 1st – Purdue scored without aid of a hit. Garst drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice, stole third and then scored on a groundout by Rzegocki. Watts tried to look Garst back to third on the grounder, but Barnes’ throw to the plate after the putout was late. PURDUE 1, GOPHERS 0.
Lineups:
Purdue Boilermakers (25-24, 6-7 Big Ten):
3B Molly Garst (.375 batting average, 2 HR, 24 RBI)
SS Liane Horiuchi (.285, 5, 22)
P Suzie Rzegocki (.282, 4, 11)
C Jenna Alexander (.267, 4, 22)
DP Erika Petruzzi (.265, 2, 12)
for LF Aimee Gingerich
CF Ashley Barr (.269, 0, 8)
1B Shelby Krammer (.214, 4, 13)
2B Kristen Allen (.200, 2, 9)
RF Elizabeth Allum (.242, 3, 6)
RHP Suzie Rzegocki (20-19 W-L, 2.54 ERA, 198 SO)
Minnesota Gophers (15-32, 1-12 Big Ten):
RF Sr. Abby Rehberger (.221, 1, 7)
2B So. Sammie Howard (.185, 0, 5)
1B Jr. Malisa Barnes (.331, 3, 16)
SS Fr. Alex Davis (.287, 9, 19)
LF Sr. Heidi Carls (.287, 1, 21)
DP Jr. Natalie Neal (.158, 0, 0)
CF So. Dannie Skrove (.186, 2, 9)
C Fr. Kari Dorle (.147, 0, 3)
3B Sr. Tina Watts (.034, 0, 3)
RHP Alissa Koch (0-18 W-L, 6.01 ERA, 107 SO)
