After coming out to the ballpark at 9 a.m., and not starting their second game until over 12 hours later at 9:55 p.m., the Redbirds were unable to pull off a second upset. No. 6 Illinois State fell to No. 2 Wichita State, 5-1, in the second round of the 2005 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Birds finished their season 31-21.
Kate Stake started the game off with a foul ball just a foot left of the pole down the left field line. She then hit a home run to left center on a 0-2 count to put the Birds up 1-0 early. With one out, Randi Patton drilled a pitch through the left side of the infield for a single. But Shocker starter Margo Pruis (19-7) retired the next two batters in order to prevent ISU from adding to its run total.
Wichita State (45-15) fought back in the bottom half of the first. Katie McGeeney led off with a line drive through the left side, and Britnee Barnett followed with a bomb over the scoreboard in left field to give the Shockers a 2-1 lead. They kept the heat on, putting three runners on base, but starter Shannon Nicholson (15-12) was able to escape without any more runs being put on the board.
The Birds also ran into trouble in the third. Nicholson beaned Ashley Lynn for the second straight time, her third hit batter of the game, before giving way to Stacy Birk. After Lynn moved to second on a wild pitch, she advanced to third on Darlings single off Birks glove. De La Riva then slammed a 1-2 pitch over the wall in centerfield to give WSU a 5-1 advantage for the games final score.
After Pattons hit in the first, Pruis sent the next 17 Redbirds back to the dugout before walking Patton to leadoff the seventh. She picked up the win, allowing just two hits while striking out seven and walking one. Nicholson took the loss, surrendering three hits and three runs while walking one in two innings. Birk allowed three hits and a pair of runs while striking out two in four innings of work.
Earlier in the day, the Redbirds got their first tournament win since 2002 with an upset of the tournaments top seed, No. 20 Southern Illinois. ISU came from behind to eliminate the Salukis, 2-1.
Stake and Mandy Garner wer named to the all-tournament team.
