Saturday, March 10
Fort Wayne, Ind.
12:00 p.m.
Purdue Fort Wayne
13-4, 1-0
1
vs
0
South Dakota State
4-7, 0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| IPFW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Photo by: Lucas Carter
Pair of Shutouts Help IPFW to Home-Opening Sweep
3/10/2012 4:22:00 PM | Softball
GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Behind a pair of shutouts by Courtney Cronin and Miranda Kramer, and three home runs by the Mastodons in the nightcap, IPFW swept its home opener by scores of 1-0 and 8-0 over South Dakota State at the IPFW Softball Field.
Cronin went the entire seven innings in the opener, striking out a career-high 13 batters while giving up just one hit, a bloop single with two outs in the sixth inning, before going 2-for-2 at the plate in the nightcap with a two-run home run. Larissa Franklin went 3-for-4 for IPFW on the day, while Cronin and Mackenzie Ritsema each went 2-for-5 at the plate.
The first game was a pitcher's duel, with Cronin going toe-to-toe with SDSU's Pam Nicholson for the entire game. The Mastodons were able to squeeze a run across in the top of the first inning when Alex Bousquet reached on a throwing error by the Jackrabbit shortstop, was sacrificed to second base by Kayti Hanson, and moved to third on an infield single by Ritsema. Twin sister Ashleigh Bousquet then followed with a sacrifice squeeze, scoring Alex, and staking IPFW to a 1-0 lead.
That margin would stand untested for the remainder of the game, despite the Jackrabbits loading the bases in the top of the sixth inning on the team's only hit, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. With the bags full, Cronin was able to secure her 12th strikeout of the game, tying her career-high, before breaking it an inning later in the game's final out, also giving Cronin her 26th shutout of her career.
Franklin went 2-for-2 for IPFW, who managed only four hits in the game, as Hanson and Ritsema had the other pair. Cronin walked three and hit one, as SDSU went 1-for-22 in the contest, dropping her ERA to a miniscule 0.88 for the season.
The nightcap opened with two and a half innings of scoreless softball; however, it wasn't due to chances by either team, as SDSU opened the game by loading the bases with one out in the top of the first inning before Kramer retired the next two batters via strikeout, keeping the series shutout alive.
IPFW nearly broke through in the bottom of the second inning when the hosts put the bags full with one out, but a strikeout and a fly ended the threat in the frame.
IPFW finally reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning when Ritsema hit her first career home run when she banged a two-ball, two-strike pitch off of the scoreboard in left-center field, giving the Mastodons a 1-0 lead. Ashleigh Bousquet followed with a double, and was chased home when Cronin cleared the left-field wall, staking the Mastodons to a 3-0 advantage.
Three batters later Franklin singled to left field, scoring Megan Flenniken, before Alex Bousquet doubled home Franklin and Stephanie Beuther, giving IPFW a 6-0 lead after the third inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Dani Pugh hit her second career home run, a two-run blast scoring herself and Cronin, giving the Mastodons an eight-run advantage, which stood up in the top of the fifth, despite an inning-opening single by Morgan McCabe, SDSU's third and final hit of the afternoon.
Kramer improved to 4-1 on the season by giving up just the two hits over her five innings, striking out five and walking two. Cronin was a perfect 2-for-2, as Alex Bousquet, Ritsema, Ashleigh Bousquet, Pugh, Beuther, and Franklin each had a hit in the contest.
The Mastodons, now 14-4 on the season and 2-0 in Summit League play, return to action on Sunday, March 11, where they will play the third and final game of the series at noon at the IPFW Softball Field.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Behind a pair of shutouts by Courtney Cronin and Miranda Kramer, and three home runs by the Mastodons in the nightcap, IPFW swept its home opener by scores of 1-0 and 8-0 over South Dakota State at the IPFW Softball Field.
Cronin went the entire seven innings in the opener, striking out a career-high 13 batters while giving up just one hit, a bloop single with two outs in the sixth inning, before going 2-for-2 at the plate in the nightcap with a two-run home run. Larissa Franklin went 3-for-4 for IPFW on the day, while Cronin and Mackenzie Ritsema each went 2-for-5 at the plate.
The first game was a pitcher's duel, with Cronin going toe-to-toe with SDSU's Pam Nicholson for the entire game. The Mastodons were able to squeeze a run across in the top of the first inning when Alex Bousquet reached on a throwing error by the Jackrabbit shortstop, was sacrificed to second base by Kayti Hanson, and moved to third on an infield single by Ritsema. Twin sister Ashleigh Bousquet then followed with a sacrifice squeeze, scoring Alex, and staking IPFW to a 1-0 lead.
That margin would stand untested for the remainder of the game, despite the Jackrabbits loading the bases in the top of the sixth inning on the team's only hit, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. With the bags full, Cronin was able to secure her 12th strikeout of the game, tying her career-high, before breaking it an inning later in the game's final out, also giving Cronin her 26th shutout of her career.
Franklin went 2-for-2 for IPFW, who managed only four hits in the game, as Hanson and Ritsema had the other pair. Cronin walked three and hit one, as SDSU went 1-for-22 in the contest, dropping her ERA to a miniscule 0.88 for the season.
The nightcap opened with two and a half innings of scoreless softball; however, it wasn't due to chances by either team, as SDSU opened the game by loading the bases with one out in the top of the first inning before Kramer retired the next two batters via strikeout, keeping the series shutout alive.
IPFW nearly broke through in the bottom of the second inning when the hosts put the bags full with one out, but a strikeout and a fly ended the threat in the frame.
IPFW finally reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning when Ritsema hit her first career home run when she banged a two-ball, two-strike pitch off of the scoreboard in left-center field, giving the Mastodons a 1-0 lead. Ashleigh Bousquet followed with a double, and was chased home when Cronin cleared the left-field wall, staking the Mastodons to a 3-0 advantage.
Three batters later Franklin singled to left field, scoring Megan Flenniken, before Alex Bousquet doubled home Franklin and Stephanie Beuther, giving IPFW a 6-0 lead after the third inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Dani Pugh hit her second career home run, a two-run blast scoring herself and Cronin, giving the Mastodons an eight-run advantage, which stood up in the top of the fifth, despite an inning-opening single by Morgan McCabe, SDSU's third and final hit of the afternoon.
Kramer improved to 4-1 on the season by giving up just the two hits over her five innings, striking out five and walking two. Cronin was a perfect 2-for-2, as Alex Bousquet, Ritsema, Ashleigh Bousquet, Pugh, Beuther, and Franklin each had a hit in the contest.
The Mastodons, now 14-4 on the season and 2-0 in Summit League play, return to action on Sunday, March 11, where they will play the third and final game of the series at noon at the IPFW Softball Field.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cronin, Courtney (7-1)
L: Pam Nicholson (2-3)
Base Running:
HBP: Tina Winter 1
Batting:
RBI: Bousquet, Ashleigh 1
SH: Hanson, Kayti 1 ; Ritsema, Mackenzie 1 ; Bousquet, Ashleigh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bousquet, Alex 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
0
RBI
0
Huge Dubs!
Saturday, May 10
Mastodon Softball walks off NKU
Friday, April 25
Softball Win over IUPUI
Monday, April 15
Winning 'Dons are Happy 'Dons!
Sunday, February 25
