April 1, 2006
Box Score
CARBONDALE, Ill. -
Despite being out-hit in both games, the Illinois State softball team jumped out to an early lead in game two against No. 25 Southern Illinois and held the Salukis off in claiming an 8-6 win in the nightcap. The win was ISU's second against a ranked team this season, as it handed the Salukis their first home loss of the season. In the opener, a late rally wasn't enough as the Redbirds fell to SIU, 3-2. The rubber match will take place tomorrow at noon at Charlotte West Stadium.
"Southern (Illinois) just found places where we weren't today," ISU head coach Melinda Fischer said. "We did some nice things defensively but tomorrow we need to be better prepared to deal with their speed.
"I think there were about 30 strikeouts today between the two teams, and probably around 15 of those were looking. So we really need to concentrate more on putting the bat on the ball. We need to go up to the plate with the attitude that we're going to hit the ball. But I compliment our players. They were determined and they came out hitting in that second game, knocking out the first two SIU pitchers."
A leadoff walk by Redbird starter Stacy Birk came back to bite the `Birds in the bottom of the fourth. After retiring the two ensuing batters on a fly out and a strikeout, Lauren Roney dropped a single just behind Birk in the circle, giving Southern Illinois a pair of runners on the base paths. Becky Wegmann then sliced a single through the left side of the infield and pinch runner Alex Pepin got in under the tag at the plate to break up the shutout. Roney advanced to third on the play while Wegmann moved over to second, and both players scored on Krystal Stein's single up the middle, which gave the Salukis a 3-0 lead.
Tiffany Prager ignited the Redbird offense in the top of the sixth with a single up the middle, just ISU's second hit of the game. Tricia Gaither followed with a fielder's choice but the Salukis were able to cut down Prager at second. Following a Redbird strikeout, Amber Smith's two-out hit to right center had just enough on it to get out of the park as the `Birds cut into the deficit to make it 3-2. But Smith's 10th homer of the season wasn't enough as ISU compiled just three hits in the game in falling 3-2.
Birk (10-4), who struck out 10 Salukis, tied her career high in strikeouts for the second straight game but was saddled with the loss. She walked four and scattered seven hits. Cassidy Scoggins (14-4), who took a Randi Patton line drive single off her stomach in the top of the first, also struck out 10. She surrendered just three hits, including the first home run against her this season.
Consecutive doubles by Gaither, Patton and Smith gave the `Birds a 2-0 edge in the first inning of game two. Smith moved to third on a groundout and scored on Casey Gorrell's single up the middle. Back-to-back walks to Jessie Buker and Kaprice Williams loaded the bases before Prager's hard grounder to the left of second base was misfielded by Wegmann and two more runs scored for a 5-0 lead.
ISU (19-9, 8-2) soon learned that no lead was safe as the Salukis rallied for a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Samantha Carter reached on a bloop hit that dropped along the right field line for a double. Katie Louis followed with a line drive RBI double over the head of Patton in centerfield. Roney then single up the middle and Louis slid in safely for the second SIU run.
In the second inning, Patton reached on a leadoff single and Smith was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for ISU. SIU starter Ashley Hamby (7-1) was then pulled in favor of Katie McNamara. A one-out walk to Birk loaded the bases, and Gorrell took advantage with a single through the left side to plate another run for Illinois State. With the bases still loaded, Buker's second straight walk of the game brought in another ISU run for a 7-2 lead. Scoggins then came on in relief and struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
Southern Illinois (22-5, 6-2) rallied for three more runs with a pair of outs in the bottom of the third to cut the ISU lead to two. A single by leadoff Tiffanie Dismore started the Saluki rally. After a groundout and a fly out by the next two batters, it looked as if the `Birds might get out of the inning unscathed but consecutive walks by ISU starter Shannon Nicholson loaded the bases. Dismore scored on a wild pitch and Wegmann then hit a bloop two-run single to shallow left field to make it 7-5. Birk then came on in relief and allowed a hit to the first batter she faced but induced a groundout to get out of the frame.
The `Birds pushed the lead back up to three runs in the sixth. Smith reached on a leadoff walk and Kelsey Warning singled through the left side for her only hit of the day. A Birk sacrifice bunt put two Redbirds in scoring position. Gorrell's sacrifice fly to centerfield brought in one run but pinch runner Jackie Williams remained stranded on second after a strikeout ended the threat.
The Salukis got back-to-back hits to start the seventh, one of them being a RBI double by Louis to make it 8-6. But that was as close at SIU would get as Birk induced a pair of pop outs and a groundout to close the game.
Birk picked up the win in relief, striking out two and walking two while scattering four hits. Hamby shouldered the loss for SIU. In one inning, she allowed five hits, five earned runs and walked two.
Patton led the `Birds with three hits and a stolen base in the doubleheader, while Gorrell and Smith, the only other `Birds with more than one hit on the day, contributed three RBI apiece. Gorrell's three RBI all came in the nightcap.
"Casey has always been in a position to drive in runners and she's very capable of driving the ball," Fischer said. "She really makes good adjustments to get a bat on the ball. She's been using the fake and hit since we were in Florida and I think that's really a good skill for her. She's a competitor and she battles and makes good adjustments."
