Feb. 23, 2007
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ga. - Michelle Henderson continued her hot hitting streak, blasting a homer and driving in the winning run for the Illinois State softball team as the `Birds downed Coastal Carolina, 5-4, in the opening game of the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Feb. 23 in Columbus, Ga. Against No. 18 Georgia, Jessie Buker smacked a three-run home run in the top of the first and the Redbird defense held strong as ISU stole a 3-0 victory from the Bulldogs.
The `Birds improve to 9-3 on the year with Friday's pair of wins, notching their second win of the season over a ranked opponent. Coastal Carolina falls to 1-8, while Georgia moves to 9-4 on the year.
Illinois State senior Jackie Williams scored the first run of the game in dramatic fashion against Coastal Carolina. The first ISU batter in the bottom of the third, Williams took her first pitch over the left field fence to give the `Birds a 1-0 advantage. The home run was the second for Williams in as many games and the third for her career.
Henderson, a freshman, picked up her first collegiate hit last weekend when smoked a homer over the center field wall in ISU's win over Idaho State. The designated player followed that pattern Friday afternoon when she took a pitch over the left center field fence, for the second hit and second home run of her young Redbird career, giving the `Birds a 2-0 lead.
Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer was impressed with Henderson's bat and encouraged by the freshman's performance.
"I thought Michelle has been swinging the bat well lately and it was time to give her a chance in the lineup," said Fischer. "Michelle really took advantage of that opportunity today and hit the ball really well. That homerun was huge for us and I was really happy for her when she knocked in that game winning run."
Coastal Carolina got on the board in the top of the sixth when Glynn Tolleson hit a single to center field off Illinois State starter Stacy Birk. Tolleson's hit drove in Kelsey Riffel and advanced Laicole Walker, who was pinch running for Brittany Birnbaum, to third. After the first Chanticleer run, Shannon Nicholson came in to relieve Birk, who threw 10 strikeouts and allowed five hits in the first six innings. But CCU wouldn't go away quietly as the next batter, junior Allison Cantrell, launched a three-run homer over the left field fence, making the score 4-2 in favor of Coastal Carolina.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Williams picked up her second hit of the game, smashing a triple into deep right field. Redbird catcher Casey Gorrell, who reached on a hard-hit single to the third baseman, came around to score. Williams tied the game at four apiece heading into the seventh as leadoff batter Kara Nelson hit a single to short center field to plate Williams.
Refusing to go into extra innings, Illinois State scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win and drop Coastal Carolina to 1-8 on the year. Amber Smith secured a walk to open the inning and freshman Chelsea Turner came in to pinch run. Turner advanced to second on a Katie Thoennes sacrifice bunt. Thoennes was substituted into the four spot for Kelsey Warning and took over for the starting right fielder when Warning was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fifth. The at bat was the first of the year for Thoennes, a sophomore outfielder from Bloomington, Ill. With two outs, Henderson stepped to the plate and singled to center field, driving in the winning run for Illinois State.
In the second game of the day, Buker wasted no time putting the `Birds in a good position. The sophomore left fielder took a 3-1 pitch from Georgia ace Kasi Carroll over the left field fence for her first home run of the year and third of her career, driving in three runs. Illinois State scattered seven other hits in the contest but didn't score any additional runs, walking away with the 3-0 win.
Starting ISU hurler Nicholson, who picked up her second complete game of the season in the win, relied on the defense behind her in the seven-inning contest. The senior right-hander walked two and struck out three, allowing just three, single base hits. Georgia was led by Megan McAllister and Melissa Wood who both went one-for-three in the loss.
Fischer was pleased with the defensive play of her team, as well as Nicholson's pitching effort.
"Shannon is a competitor," Fischer said. She came in to pick up Stacy in that first game and then started for us against Georgia. She mixed her pitches well and finished the game against a great softball team. When Shannon is at her best when she is pitching her game and is relaxed in the circle.
"I thought we played well defensively today behind our pitchers," Fischer continued. "We started out a bit slow against Coastal Carolina but picked it up and carried that intensity through the second game with Georgia. Our infield made some great defensive plays that kept runners off the bases."
