May 4, 2002
Urbana, Ill. -
Illinois sent 13 batters to the plate in the fourth inning and scored nine runs on nine hits en route to a 10-1, five-inning win over Purdue Saturday afternoon.
Sarah Baumgartner and Alicia Hammel each had two hits in the fourth inning. Hammel scored two runs and drove in two more. Lindsey Hamma, the second-leading hitter in the Big Ten, was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and Erin Montgomery was 2-for-2 with a sacrifice, two RBI and one run scored.
Both teams scored a run in the first, but each team left the bases loaded. The Boilermakers Andrea Hillsey doubled home Angi Roembke making it 1-0 Purdue. Illinois' Sherri Taylor walked two batters to load the bases, but got out of the jam.
Illinois took advantage of a Purdue error to score an unearned run in the bottom of the first. Erin Montgomery drove home LeeAnn Butcher with a single to center to tie the score at one, but the Illini too left the bases loaded.
Taylor retired the next 10 Purdue hitters, allowing her team a chance to take the lead. Taylor improved to 17-17, giving up four hits in five innings while striking out two.
The Illini, meanwhile, got the leadoff batter aboard in every inning. The fourth inning parade of hits against Purdue reliever Leighann Burke started with back-to-back singles by Baumgartner and Hammel. Jones drove home the first run, when the Boilers were unable to throw out Baumgartner at home on a slow roller to the mound. Lindsey Hamma doubled home Hammel; Sartini singled to center; Montgomery singled to left; Baumgartner had a bloop single to right; Hammel drove in two with a single to center; and Butcher had an infield single, all producing runs.
"We finally were able to capitalize because the team stayed focused," said Sullivan, whose team left six runners on base in the first three innings. "We set the table (for a big inning) in the previous innings. Some teams feel pressed after missing out on all those opportunities.
"The key was following the game plan in finding the holes. It's a sign of players becoming more mature at the plate. Our line-up top to bottom is threatening. You can't pitch around any batter."
Purdue threatened with two hits in the fifth, but Taylor got the next batters to pop out to Hamma at shortstop and ground out to Jones at third.
The Illini end their season with a home game against Purdue Sunday at Noon at Eichelberger Field.
