After a 2-1 victory over Tennessee Tech in game one, the Illinois State softball team (1-1) fell to No. 5 Alabama, 6-0, after the first day of competition at the 2001 Bama Bash! in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Friday.
Starting ISU pitcher Audra Rast gave up four singles and one double after two innings versus Alabama in the 'Birds second game of the day. ISU had two errors early, which contributed to the Crimson Tide's 4-0 lead going into the third.
Sophomore Corey Harris replaced Rast on the mound and gave up four hits and two runs before freshman Katie Newman finished off the game in the seventh. The Redbirds had only one hit in their second contest, coming from junior Shae Wesley on the first pitch of the first inning.
ISU defeated the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech in its first game, 2-1. Pitcher Nicole Kurth tied the Bama Bash! record and school record for most strikeouts in a game with 13. She allowed only three hits and walked two batters in the Redbirds' season opener.
Abbie Scott of ISU ripped a single up the middle in the second to send April Schermann home after she reached on a single of her own. A double by Jamie Bagnall in the top of the fourth scored ISU's second run, which proved to be the game winner. Illinois State had four hits while Tennessee Tech had five with one error.
Head coach
Melinda Fischer said after the Alabama game she was happy with her teams at bats against the Crimson Tide but unfortunately in the end, they had nothing to show for it.
"I thought things would be different after the first hit by Shae, but it wasn't," Fischer said. "I was pleased with the way we took each pitch one at a time and I think that if we would have scored in the first inning, this game would have had a different outcome.
"But we didn't score anymore and then Alabama just caught on fire in the second and this just wasn't Audra's day," Fischer continued. "Overall, I think we had a good first opening day though and Nicole did a good job in the first doing what she does best, striking players out. Hopefully tomorrow we can continue with that against Samford."
Illinois State returns to action tomorrow at 11 a.m. versus Samford, who defeated Tennessee Tech in its first game on Friday 8-4.
