Purdue Fort Wayne
Valparaiso
IPFW Drops Pair to Valparaiso
4/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 9, 2008
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Fort Wayne, IN - A trio of Abby Liden home runs was not enough for the IPFW Mastodon softball squad (8-17), as the team fell in a pair of games to the Valparaiso University Crusaders (21-12) by 12-3 and 8-4 scores.
In the opener, Valparaiso saw their first dozen batters reach base en route to jumping out to a comfortable 8-0 lead through three outs in the game. IPFW rallied with a trio of runs coming off back-to-back home runs from Abby Liden and Tara Mickelson, Liden's coming with Rachel Staschuk on base after a walk.
The Crusaders added another run in the third inning before putting the game firmly out of reach in the fifth inning with three more runs, giving the game its 12-3 final score.
The `Dons were held to three hits in the game, one each from Jil Price, Liden and Mickelson. Katie Aspegren picked up the loss, as she gave up seven earned runs and walked seven. Alysha Scheidt came in and pitched the next one and a third inning before Kayla Powell finished off the game, going the final three and two-thirds.
In the second contest, Valparaiso once again jumped out to a lead, putting up two runs in the top of the first inning before the `Dons rallied and tied the score at two apiece after Liden's second home run of the day, scoring herself and Staschuk. After holding the Crusaders scoreless in the top of the second, IPFW took its first lead of the day on Liden's second home run in as many innings, this time scoring Price, opening a 4-2 `Don lead.
The advantage would be short lived with the visitors putting up three runs in the top of the third inning, pushing the score to 5-4 in favor of the Crusaders. Valparaiso added three insurance runs in the fifth inning, taking the score to 8-4. Neither team was able to find the scoreboard in the last two and a half innings, with Valparaiso holding on to their four-run victory.
Liden, Mickelson and Kristina Karpun each had a pair of hits in the nightcap, with Liden driving in all four runs on her two home runs. Amanda Olender pitched all seven innings of the game, striking out six while allowing eight earned runs.
The `Dons next travel to Indianapolis, where they will face off against the IUPUI Jaguars in a conference series, starting on April 11 with a double header with the first pitch set for 4:00 PM, before finishing off the three-game series on the 12th starting at noon.
