April 11, 2006
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -
Kelsey Warning drove in a pair of runs and each Illinois State starter reached base safely as the Redbirds downed Western Illinois, 9-2, at Redbird Softball Complex on Tuesday evening.
Things got off to a rocky start for Redbird pitcher Shannon Nicholson in the top of the first. Singles sandwiched around an ISU error filled the bases with Westerwinds (before the `Birds recorded their first out of the inning. But a slow roller back to Nicholson was thrown the to plate and then to first for the double play and a strikeout by the ensuing batter helped Nicholson and the Redbirds get out of the jam.
"After Shannon settled down, she pitched a nice game. Those first few innings were a little rough for her," Fischer said. "Stacy did a good job of coming in that last inning. We're trying to work on some things that we've been deficient on in ball games, and I think we got some things accomplish in this game."
Illinois State (24-11) then scored in the pairs in the first two innings before WIU got on the board. Tricia Gaither singled and Randi Patton was hit by a pitch to start the first. Both runners advanced on a groundout and Warning's single through the left side brought in Gaither from third. Patton crossed when the third baseman committed an error on the throw from the outfield.
With two out in the second, Tiffany Prager doubled to left field. Gaither singled up the middle, scoring Prager, and moving all the way to third on the throw to the plate. A Patton double to left center put Illinois State up 4-0. However, Western Illinois got two runs back the following inning. Amy Douglas singled and Meghan Strazar doubled to the gap in left center, allowing the first Westerwind run to score. Strazar finished the play on third base after a Redbird throwing error to the plate.
Warning issued career home run number six to leadoff the third. A pitching change followed for WIU, but the `Birds were unfazed as they added four more runs in the fifth. Patton reached on a catcher's interference call to begin the frame. Then Smith singled to third base to put a pair on for ISU. Stacy Birk drove a double into the gap in right center as Patton scored easily, but Smith was thrown out at home as Birk went to third on the throw. With runners on the corners following a walk by Casey Gorrell, Jessie Buker stepped to the plate and hit an RBI single to push the margin up to five. Kaprice Williams two-base hit to right center completed the game's scoring.
Warning and Gaither each had two hits, while both Williams and Warning drove in two runs. Strazar went three-for-three for Western Illinois. The Redbird defense also added two double plays.
"I thought our defense played pretty well today, but it's always tough in windy conditions like this," ISU head coach Melinda Fischer said. "Tiffany made a really nice play on the ball up the middle but the girl was so quick that we couldn't get her at first. Jessie did a nice job in right (field) and Amber played really well at first.
Nicholson improved to 13-5, striking out two and walking one as she surrendered just one earned run and seven hits. Birk completed the game with three straight strikeouts in the seventh. Christine Drakiewicz (3-8) took the loss for the Westerwinds. She scattered six hits, struck out one and allowed four earned runs.
