Illinois State (21-14-1, 8-5) lost a heartbreaker to Southern Illinois (30-8, 10-2) in game one 2-1, before surviving a scare and taking the second game 5-2. The Birds handed Southern Illinois its first home loss of the season. Head coach
Melinda Fischer (599-424-3 at ISU) is now just one win away from achieving her 600th victory at ISU; while Emily Krueger took one step closer to claiming the single season home run record at Illinois State.
ISU jumped all over SIU starter Amy Harre, getting a total of 10 hits off the righty in the opening game. The Birds struck first, getting one hit in the first frame and two in the second but failing to plate a run either time. But the Redbirds did manage to push one over in the third inning. Mandy Garner led off with a single through the left side. Garner was sacrificed to second on an Emily Krueger bunt. Kate Stake then pushed Garner to third on a groundout to short. Dominique Borba then knocked the ball into centerfield driving in Garner for the Birds only run of the game.
Southern Illinois battled back in the bottom of the frame using their first two hits of the game to even the score at 1-1. Adie Viefhaus led off with a single to centerfield and moved to second on a Kelly Creek sac bunt. Then second baseman Samantha Carter drove in the tying run with a single down the left field line.
Both teams failed to score in the seventh forcing an extra frame. Illinois State was held scoreless in the top of the eighth despite Borba singling to lead off the inning. But the next three Redbirds went down in order to retire the side.
Birk retired the first two batters in the eighth before Southern Illinois put together a rally. Jenny Doehring singled up the middle and Jordan followed with a walk to put two runners on. Third baseman Haley Viefhaus then hit a deep fly ball to left center but the ball was dropped and Doehring crossed the plate for the game-winning run.
Borba, Garner, Bierwirth and Patton each had two hits for ISU and Borba had the only RBI of the contest. Birk, who falls to 10-14, took the loss for the Birds. She pitched the entire game, scattering four hits, walking four and tossing three strikeouts.
The Birds came out like gangbusters in the second game much like the first. With one out in the first, Krueger lined one over the fence in centerfield for her 13th home run of the season. The 13th ties Illinois States single season mark for homers set in 1999 by Heather Stella. Kruegers homer gave ISU an early 1-0 lead. Garner plated two more in the second with a one-out double to left center with the bases loaded to give the Redbirds a 3-0 edge. ISU tacked on two more in the fifth as Garner and Krueger each singled to put runners on first and second. Then Kate Stake advanced the runners with a sac bunt before Borba grounded out to second base and Garner was able to score. Katie Guilbault then doubled down the right field line to clear the bases and put ISU up 5-0 heading into the sixth.
SIU, which faced three Redbird pitchers in the sixth, rallied for two runs in the inning off four hits, a hit batsman and a couple fielders choices. Illinois State wasnt able to score in the sixth and had to fight off a late charge by the Salukis in the final frame to get the win. After two walks to lead off the inning, starter Shannon Nicholson came back into the game and retired the first two batters before Katie Louis stepped to the plate. Louis, the reigning Valley Freshman of the Year who is the No. 2 Saluki this season in home runs, smacked a high fly ball to left field that looked as if it would sail out and tie up the game, but the ball was caught by Patton about two feet from the fence for the final out of the game.
Garner was two-for-three with two RBI and Krueger was two-for-four to lead Illinois State in the second game. Nicholson (7-5) picked up the win, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out five.
Illinois State will complete the series with a noon contest tomorrow at West Field.
