May 1, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
After its last three games were cancelled (at Northern Iowa), Melinda Fischer's Illinois State softball team is anxious to get back on the field. The Redbirds hit the field Tuesday as they travel to DeKalb, Ill. to take on Northern Illinois in a 5 p.m. contest at Mary M. Bell Field.
"We really need to get back on the field (after not playing for nearly a week), and take advantage of the games that we do have left," Fischer said. "Our players were pretty disappointed with not being able to play (against UNI). But there's nothing we could do about the weather. There's only so much you can control."
Illinois State (33-12) will face a NIU team (20-23) that owns a 7-3 mark at home this season. The last time the two teams played in DeKalb the game went into extra innings and Randi Patton's solo blast to leadoff the eighth inning held up as the game-winner. Last season, the `Birds run-ruled the Huskies, 11-2, in five innings by out-hitting them 11-6.
"We played Northern (Illinois) twice in the fall and we beat them the first time and then they beat us. They're always a good-hitting ball team, and they are coming off two conference wins on the road at Ohio. We just need to be ready to play."
The game against the Huskies will serve as ISU's final preparation for this weekend's showdown with Missouri Valley Conference leader Missouri State. The three-game set in Springfield, Mo. will determine the regular season championship, as the `Birds are currently No. 2 in the conference standings.
