Sept. 30, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
Sparked by 14 hits and 11 runs in the first game, followed by an 11-hit, eight-run effort in the second, the Illinois State softball team downed Lake Land in Saturday's doubleheader at Redbird Softball Complex. Wrapping up the fall 2006 season, the Redbirds beat Lake Land 11-3 and 8-0 to end the spring pre-season slate with a 7-1-2 record.
"Today went really well," said Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer. "We got to see a lot of people who haven't played much this season. We saw a lot of different things from everyone and that was really good for our last fall tournament."
Led by Marilyn Tresenriter's first collegiate home run, the Redbirds had five players with multiple hits in the first, six-inning game. Tresenriter's bomb, hit over the right-field wall was the second hit for the sophomore in the game. Also contributing for ISU were Stacy Birk, who hit two-for-two, Casey Gorrell (two-for-three, two RBI) and Kelsey Warning, who swatted a pair of hits in three attempts.
Picking up the win in the circle for Illinois State in the first game was senior co-captain Shannon Nicholson, who pitched all six innings, allowing just three earned runs on five hits. Nicholson sent six back to the bench with strikeouts. Offensively, the Chatham, Ill., native smacked two hits, and drove in four runs.
Fischer was pleased that her team applied what they have been learning throughout the week inpractice.
"There was a lot of offensive production up and down our lineup," said Fischer. "We worked on some situation hitting in practice this week and the team really responded to that. I thought we hit the ball hard and drove it well. In the first game, we had just two strikeouts and 14 hits, which is what we're looking to see. On the day, Lake Land threw five pitchers and I felt we did a really nice job of adjusting to each type of pitcher we saw."
In the second game, Illinois State handled Lake Land in shutout fashion, collecting 11 hits for eight runs. Junior Tiffany Prager was two-for-three in the win, with a single RBI. Fellow infielders Kara Nelson (two-for-three) and Jessie Buker (three-for-four, with two RBI) also drove the ball for the `Birds.
Collecting single hits but in timely situations were both Michelle Henderson and Christy Colgan. Henderson, a freshman from Normal-West high school, hit a triple to right-center field, scoring Buker for a single RBI. Colgan, a junior utility player, drove a double in the last inning off the left-field fence. Colgan also collected a single RBI.
Sophomore Amber Smith pitched for the `Birds in the second game, allowing just two hits, while walking one and striking out six. At the plate, Smith collected two hits in three at-bats, a homerun and a double, while plating three runners.
"I thought it was a very productive day for both teams," said Fischer. The score was lopsided but I give Lake Land credit. They are a young team. Lake Land is very athletic and will be very strong when their spring season rolls around. They provided us with some good competition."
Illinois State hosts its annual alumni game on Sunday, with 21 former Redbirds headed back to campus to take on the current ISU squad. The game, which will begin at 1 p.m., will be a nine inning match and highly competitive, according to Fischer.
"Bragging rights for the next year will be at stake in tomorrow's game," said Fischer. "Both teams will really go at each other hard and will be looking to win. We need to take the mindset we had today into tomorrow's game and approach things the same way to beat the alumni."
