Just five games into the regular season, the Illinois State softball team played its second extra inning game, both of which results in Redbird wins. Sunday, the Redbirds (3-2) beat Kentucky, 5-4 in 11 innings in their final game at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic in Miami.
Ultimately the Birds won the game after meeting the Wildcats challenges in the final two innings. Kentucky scored a run in each inning and ISU countered in both innings, with one run in the 10th and two in the 11th to get the win. With the win the Redbirds were supposed to take on #1 seed Auburn, the team they had beaten in the season opener; however, they were unable to complete the tournament due to their flight schedule.
I thought it was a really well played game by both teams. It would have been a hard game to lose for either team, head coach
Melinda Fischer said. We had great energy today and we executed defensively. We improved every time we stepped on the field during this tournament, but unfortunately we couldnt finish because we had to catch an early flight to get back for classes on Monday.
Stacy Birk was placed on second base to start the bottom of the 11th, due to the international tiebreaker rule with the Birds in a must score situation. Katie Guilbault then reached on a fielders choice and Birk was safe at third when the bunt was picked up by the third baseman and the throw to third was late. Lauren Bierwirth drove in the tying run on a double to right field, putting two runners in scoring position with no one out. After Randi Patton walked to load the bases, freshman RaeAnn Ewen worked the pitcher to a full count before the winning run crossed the plate on a walk.
The Redbirds nearly ended it in the bottom of the eighth. Dominique Borba was placed on second and with two outs scored on a Bierwirth single up the middle. However, the umpire called Borba out on runners interference on the hit up the middle ending the inning.
Were headed in the right direction but weve still got some work to do, Fischer added. We had some opportunities to score but we couldnt capitalize; and we had a chance to take the lead in the fifth after we got a couple runs but it didnt happen. We also had trouble getting the bunt down in extra innings.
Kentucky jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after scoring one run in both the first and second innings. In the top of the first with one out, Alli Eckman hit a bloop single over the head of second baseman Kate Stake. Meghan Cooper followed with an RBI triple to deep right field that just missed going over the fence. The ensuing inning, Ashley Fertic led off with a single up the middle, then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Birk. Callie Kovacs hit a sacrifice fly to right field that Jackie Williams caught and threw on a rope to the plate yet despite a close play at the plate the umpire called the runner safe handing Kentucky the lead.
Borba helped the Birds tie the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Pinch hitter Tiffany Prager led off with a walk and Mandy Garner advanced her to second on a single up the middle. Tricia Gaither then sacrificed the runners to second and third with a bunt. Stake followed with a fielders choice reaching base safely, while Prager and Garner remained on the bases to load them for Borba. ISUs shortstop drove a shot into right center tying the score and putting both Stake and Borba in scoring position with one out. But the rally was short-lived as the next two batters grounded out and popped out, respectively.
In the top of the tenth Kentucky took its second lead of the game. With Fertic on second due to the tiebreaker rule Kovacs singled through the right side. After a foul out, Ashley Dimkich reached on a fielders choice and Fertic scored on a close play at the plate on the throw from Gaither at third base.
Illinois State tied it up in the bottom of the tenth. Garner was placed on second base and moved to third on a sac bunt by Gaither. Stake then drove a pitch into left field scoring Garner and tying the score at 3-3.
The Wildcats scored again in the 11th to make it 4-3 heading into the bottom of the inning. Eckman was placed on second and moved to third on a sac bunt by the following batter. She then scored on a single to left by Amber Janneck.
Shannon Nicholson (2-2) picked up the win in relief. She worked nine and two-third innings, allowing just four hits, two unearned runs, walking two and striking out four.
Garner was two-for-four with two runs and Stake had two hits and an RBI. Borba, who along with Nicholson was named to the all-tournament team, had a hit and two RBI.
Next weekend Illinois State plays in the Rebel Classic in Oxford, Miss. hosted by Ole Miss.
