Valley home run leader Cutie Taylor demolished the ball in game one of the doubleheader against non-conference foe Northern Illinois, hitting her ninth and 10th home runs of the season helping Illinois State to the shutout, 4-0. Corey Harris picked up her fifth win of the year in game two edging the Huskies 3-2.
The first Taylor dinger smacked the foul pole for a fair hit, while the second sailed about 230 feet clearing the Huskie scoreboard. Both hits were two-run homers, moving Taylor into second place, three runs behind Heather Stella, who holds the school record with 13, for the most home runs in a single-season.
Redbird pitching ace Audra Rast dominated the mound once again, striking out 10 Huskie batters, allowing only four hits earning her 14th straight win, 4-0. The righty improved her record to 17-2 overall, 10-0 in conference action.
The Birds blasted eight hits off of Northern Illinois pitchers Amy Krahula and Jolene Heller including Taylors two home runs and a double by Corey Harris, her fourth of the season. Krahula took the loss for the Huskies dropping her record to 6-11.
In game two, Corey Harris made a shining start on the mound for the Birds allowing only five hits in the defeat, 3-2. The first run for the Huskies came off of a wild pitch by Harris in the third inning and the second on a single by Gretchen Szymski of Northern Illinois.
Offense was again the key for the Birds marking three runs on five hits off of Huskie pitcher Kathy Dearborn, now 8-6.
Dominique Borba had a respectable day grabbing an RBI off of a double to center field, her eighth of the year, and spotted errorless defense grabbing six assists and two putouts from shortstop.
Illinois State will return to conference action this weekend to face Wichita State in a three game series on April 20 & 21.
