WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Boilermaker softball team picked up its first win of the Kim Schuette era and the 2014 season with a 5-4 upset of No. 10 Texas Sunday morning at the Louisiana Classic. Purdue took an early lead and held off the Longhorn offense for the victory.
Sophomore Lilly Fecho went the distance for the Boilers in the circle, striking out six, while Lauren Slatten (1-1) was saddled with the loss for UT after giving up three runs in the opening stanza. Gabby Smith and Holly Kern saw relief action for the Longhorns.
The Boilermakers scored five runs on six hits and got help from eight walks and two hit by pitches in the contest. Senior Tori Chiodo posted two hits in the game, driving in one RBI, and also made the final out of the game with a stellar just-in-time throw down to first base from shallow right field.
The Boilers got on the board early thanks to patience at the plate, taking advantage of four walks, a hit by pitch and an RBI single by senior Tori Chiodo, to take a 3-0 lead. Seniors Andie Varsho and Maia Monchek walked and freshman Katy McJunkin was hit by a pitch to fill the bases with two outs. Senior Lindsey Rains drew a full count walk to push across the first run. Chiodo plated the second slipping a single through the left side. Sophomore Paris Andrew made it 3-0, picking up a free pass that drove in McJunkin.
Texas cut the deficit to one with a two-run homer by Erin Shireman in the second.
Rains answered the call with a home run of her own in the third, bringing in McJunkin with a long ball to right center. McJunkin was hit by a pitch to start the stanza. Chiodo added a single and Andrew drew her second walk of the day, then the pair went to third on a wild pitch, but was left stranded.
The Longhorns paired a single and a double for a score in the third to make it 5-3.
After failing to capitalize on a single by senior Danielle Fletcher in the fourth, the Boilers forced UT to leave the bases full in the bottom with a clutch strikeout by Fecho.
A bases loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth gave UT its fourth run, but Fecho came through with another clutch K to prevent further damage.
The Boilers threatened in the seventh as Andrew and freshman Kristen Hoppman drew two-out walks and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but a ground ball kept the score at 5-4 Purdue.
UT put a runner on with a two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh, but Chiodo snagged a ground ball behind first base and winged a throw to Burkhardt at first, securing the Boilers the putout on a bang-bang play.
The Boilers wrap up opening weekend with a contest against No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette at 1 p.m. ET.
