llinois State opened the 2001 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Omaha, Neb., just like the ended the last tournament, with a victory. Posting a 5-2 victory against sixth-seeded Wichita State, the top-seeded Redbirds won their fifth consecutive MVC tournament game dating back to last season.
Illinois State opened the 2001 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Omaha, Neb., just like the ended the last tournament, with a victory. Posting a 5-2 victory against sixth-seeded Wichita State, the top-seeded Redbirds won their fifth consecutive MVC tournament game dating back to last season.
It was a big win, head coach
Melinda Fischer said. We dont play again until tomorrow afternoon now and it was good to see that we battled back and scored two runs after giving up two runs to Wichita State in the sixth inning.
Shae Wesley started things out for the Redbirds, belting her fifth double of the season to right center. First-team all-MVC pick Becky McMurtry smacked her team-best 14th two-bagger of the year to plate Wesley with the first run of the afternoon.
Becky (McMurtry) had a good day, she had two quality at bats and it was good to see Shae (Wesley) get on base a couple of times, Fischer said. Aprils (Schermann) home run in the sixth was also a big hit for us.
Wesley and McMurtry teamed up again in the third inning. Wesley led off the frame by reaching on an error and stealing second base. With two outs, McMurtry drove in her second run of the game with an RBI single to center field.
Illinois State added one run in bottom of the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Jamie Bagnall belted a one-out double down the left field line and advanced to third when Katie Shifflet smacked a ball past Wichita State shortstop Tina Lewis to score Bagnall.
Wichita State got on the board in the top of the sixth when Nicki Mooers led off the inning with a single to left field and advanced to second on a groundout. Jody Lupo then belted a single to left field to advance Mooers to third with one out, but junior Cutie Taylors throw to the plate was up the first base line and past catcher Wesley to allow Mooers to score. An errant throw to the plate then allowed Lupo to advance to third on the play. Lupo scored on an Ande Kleckner sacrifice fly to cut the Illinois State lead to 3-2.
The Redbirds got one run back in the sixth inning when April Schermann belted her fourth home run of the season to put ISU ahead 4-2. Pinch hitting for Jenni Neeley, Corey Harris plated another insurance run, smacking one through the right side of the infield to plate pinch runner Stephanie Beyer.
Senior Nicole Kurth improved to 21-4 on the season, striking out five and surrendering one earned run for Illinois State. McMurtry went 2-for-2 with two runs batted in and Bagnall also had a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with one run scored.
The first one is out of the way, and now we just have to get ready to play tomorrow, Fischer said.
The Redbirds return to action on Friday at 3 p.m. in Omaha, Neb.
