Feb. 10, 2007
Box Score
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Jennifer Nolan hit her first home run of the season and Megan Gant and Keri McKee each drove in two runs as the Owls remained perfect on the 2007 season as they downed Purdue, 10-7, on the second day of the Mississippi State Bulldog Round Robin at the MSU Softball field on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing for the first time all season, KSU (3-0) posted a monster fifth inning, scoring four runs to tied the game 7-7. After Klair Wells reached on an error, Nolan smacked the Owls first homer of the season of the left center wall, drawing KSU within two at 7-5. McKee followed with a singled through the left side and then advanced to second on a fielder's choice. After a pair of illegal pitches gave the Owls runners at second and third, Sarah Hesterman strolled to the plate and singled to right field, scoring Gant and Malorie Weller to tie the game.
After Purdue (0-4) posted a scoreless fifth, the Owls picked up right where they left off as they took the lead for good in the top of the sixth when Wells started off the inning with a single. After Nolan reached on a fielder's choice and an error advanced Wells to second base, McKee loaded the bases after she herself reached on yet another fielder's choice.
A few batters later, Gant knocked in her two runs on a single to right field to put the Owls up 9-7. KSU added another run in the top of the seventh to clinch its third straight win and remain perfect on the young season.
Missy Hobdy (1-0) picked up her first win of the season after coming in the bottom of the second inning and Norie Glazebrook notched her first save of the year for the Owls.
As they had done in their first two games on Friday, the Owls got on the scoreboard first when McKee doubled to right center field, scoring Wells from first base. KSU pushed its lead to 2-0 when Weller singled to center and in turn drove in McKee.
Purdue (0-4) didn't take long to respond as they cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first inning when Erika Peterson scored on a sacrifice fly. After pitching a scoreless second inning, the Boilermakers looked to take their first lead of the tournament and did so when Ashley Hall singled to center off KSU's Janet Kearns to give Purdue a 3-2 lead.
The Boilermakers extended their lead to 5-2 when Hall scored on an attempted steal by Peterson followed by a single from Kelsey Haupert. The four-run inning put an end to Kearns' day, who finished the game allowing four earned runs and five hits in an inning and two-thirds.
The Owls got one run back in the top of the fourth when Sarah Hesterman doubled to left center and subsequently scored off a Hollie Huffman single to pull within 5-3. Purdue's offense wouldn't be denied in the bottom half of the inning, however, posting two more runs to go up 7-3.
KSU will be back in action later this afternoon against Mississippi State.
