March 26, 2006
Box Score
PEORIA, Ill. -
A leadoff walk and an Illinois State error in the third inning in conjunction with the Redbirds' inability to push runners across led to ISU's demise as it fell to Bradley, 2-0, at Laura Bradley Park in Peoria on Sunday. ISU out-hit the Braves 6-4 but left 10 runners stranded as the `Birds dropped their first game in Missouri Valley Conference play this season, snapping an eight game winning streak.
"Yesterday we took advantage of things that happened but we didn't do that today and it cost us," ISU head coach Melinda Fischer said. "We hit well today, just not at the right time. We can't leave ten runners on and expect to win.
Bradley's Kimberly Dobill drew a leadoff walk and the pinch runner moved to second on a sacrifice bunt putting a runner in scoring position for Bradley (11-11, 2-3) in the bottom of the third. A throwing error by ISU starter Stacy Birk on another sacrifice bunt, the first error of her career, proved costly as the Braves scored their first run of the game. Bradley added to its run total in the sixth as Joanna Pettit's two-out home run to left field made it 2-0.
Illinois State (16-8, 5-1) had one last shot in the top of the seventh. Tiffany Prager was hit by a pitch to start things off. Then Tricia Gaither sent a high fly ball to deep right field but Bethany Till made a spectacular grab to prevent Prager from advancing. Randi Patton was then walked with one out to put a pair of Redbirds on the base paths, but back-to-back strikeouts by Bradley starter Ashley Bridsong ended the threat as the Braves picked up their first win over ISU since the 2004 season.
"We had who we wanted up when we were able to put runners on but we couldn't produce," Fischer said. "But the back breaker in that seventh inning was when Till made that great catch on Tricia's ball to right field. We possibly could have had bases loaded with no one out. But Birdsong pitched a really good ball game. She did what she needed to do when we got runners on to prevent us from scoring."
Birdsong (5-4) pitched the complete game shutout for the Braves. She fanned nine, walked three and allowed six hits. Birk (8-3) surrendered just four hits, walked one and struck out seven.
Gaither led the ISU offense with a pair of hits, while Pettit added a pair for Bradley.
