Illinois State pounded two home runs in each game Saturday, propelling itself to 4-0 and 13-7 Missouri Valley Conference wins over Drake at Redbird Softball Complex. The Redbirds forced an extra inning in the second game after coming back from a six run deficit. They scored six runs in the top of the eighth to seal the victory.
In game one, Mandy Garner broke the scoreless tie with a solo shot homer to left field to lead off the third inning. Fellow infielder Kate Stake helped the Birds tack on two more in the fifth when with two outs she sent the first pitch over the center field wall. Illinois State plated another run in the bottom of the sixth.
Stacy Birk, the reigning Valley Pitcher of the Week, tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout. She struck out two and walked two. The win marks Birks fourth complete-game shutout this week. Drakes hits came in the fourth and seventh innings.
Dominique Borba went two-for-two and Lauren Bierwirth was two-for-three in game one. Carly Weinstein had Illinois States only other hit.
The Redbirds looked strong in the first inning once again. Garner led off with an infield single and Emily Krueger followed with a single down the left field line. Stake then sacrificed both runners with a bunt. Garner then managed to score when Drake pitcher Kate Shimon tossed a wild pitch to Katie Guilbault.
After managing just two hits in game one, the Bulldogs bats got hot in their first at bat of the nightcap. They went through two Illinois State pitchers before Sheila Emms came in to stop the bleeding. Emms allowed just one hit in the frame, but Drake had already scored seven runs on eight hits and a Redbird error to take a 7-1 lead.
The Redbirds began to mount a comeback in the third inning. Randi Patton reached base on an error by the third baseman and Garner singled up the middle to put two runners on the base paths. On the first pitch, Emily Krueger belted her 10th homer of the season to cut Drakes lead to three.
ISU rallied in the fourth for two more runs with two outs. Garner reached on a fielders choice, then Krueger was intentionally walked. Stakes RBI single to left scored Garner from second, before Katie Guilbaults singled down the left field line to score Krueger from second as well. The Birds plated another in the fifth when Birk sent a solo shot over the wall in right center.
All the while Emms kept the Drake batters in check, allowing just one hit in the third inning and three in the sixth. Neither team managed to score in the seventh, which forced extra innings.
For the Redbirds, the top of the eighth inning started off much like the first inning did for the Bulldogs. Patton singled up the middle to get things started, while Garner followed with a sac bunt to advance Patton to second. Then Krueger was intentionally walked again before Stake walked to load the bases. Patton then scored on a wild pitch to Guilbault, while the other runners advanced too. Guilbault also walked to keep the bases loaded. Borba was then hit by a pitch to walk in a second run and keep the bases loaded with one out. Bierwirth then hit an RBI single up the middle, before Birk knocked a two-RBI single to left. Then Bierwirth was tagged out trying to score on Weinsteins fielders choice for the second out of the stanza. Weinstein tried to advance to second on the play but was tagged out in a rundown, but not before Birk scored the sixth run of the inning.
All but one Bulldog in the order recorded a hit as Drake had 13 in the game. Seven Illinois State batters recorded a total of 11 hits. Garner, Krueger, Bierwirth and Patton each had two hits, while Krueger and Birk each had three RBI.
Emms (4-5) picked up the Redbird win, allowing six hits and two walks against four strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
Illinois State (18-13, 6-4) will attempt to sweep the series from Drake (15-15, 2-5) with a noon match-up tomorrow at Redbird Softball Complex.
