For the second straight day, freshman hurler Stacy Birk (7-3) shut out Bradley, helping the Birds to a 6-0 win. With the victory, Illinois State takes the series 2-1. This weekends two wins are the Redbirds first Missouri Valley Conference wins of the season.
The game was tight until the Birds put two runs on the board in the third inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, senior co-captain Katie Hanko singled to right field to break the scoreless tie. Birk was then walked while the bases were still loaded, giving Illinois State two runs on just one hit and four walks.
In the bottom of the third, Bradley tried to mount a comeback. With two outs, shortstop Laura Harms reached on a bunt down the first base line. Outfielder Stefanie Cheney followed with a single between first and second base, but was tagged out by second baseman Kate Stake as she rounded the bag looking to go to second. The Braves only other hit was a Angela Toures single to right field in the first inning.
ISU plated four more in the top of the fifth. After one out to lead off the frame, Birk got on via a base on balls. Consecutive singles by Carly Weinstein and Lauren Bierwirth loaded the bases. Then Amy Ehret, who was pinch running for Birk, scored on a wild pitch to put the Redbirds up by three, just before Mandy Garner was also walked. So the bases were loaded for senior Emily Krueger. Krueger stepped to the plate and smacked a two-run double into left center. An RBI single by Kate Stake in the next at bat drove in Garner from third base for the sixth and final run of the game.
In facing 23 batters, Birk, a freshman from Huntington Beach, Calif., allowed just three hits while walking no one and striking out two. Bradleys Brittany Dehler (7-4), who two-hit ISU in the second game on Saturday, took the loss. She allowed six hits, three earned runs and eight walks while tossing four strikeouts in facing 30 batters.
Birk and co-captains Bierwirth and Stake led the offense with two hits apiece. Krueger, Hanko and Weinstein each added one.
Illinois States next game is a 3 p.m. doubleheader against Valley foe Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind. on Wednesday.
