Feb. 9, 2007
Box Score
MIAMI - Though dropping Friday's first game to No. 20 Oklahoma, 3-1, the Illinois State softball team tallied 16 hits in the second game against Florida International and rallied for a 10-3 win in its second and final game of the day at the Diamond Fun & Sun Classic in Miami. The Redbirds were led by senior Kelsey Warning who went four-of-six from the plate on the day and added a pair of RBI in the win.
Illinois State sits at an even 1-1 on the season after Friday's contests, while the three-day tournament continues into Saturday.
The `Birds and the Sooners battled for 2 full scoreless innings until the bottom of the third when the Sooners scored the game's first run. OU catcher Lindsey Vandever grounded out to second base for the first out of the inning but the bases were quickly loaded with the next three batters. Illinois State pitcher Shannon Nicholson gave up a single to Traci Dickenson before hitting Norrelle Dickson with a pitch. Spaulding hit another single to right center to load the bases and the fifth batter of the inning, OU left fielder Amber Flores, flew out to center but was credited with an RBI as Dickenson crossed.
Illinois State center fielder Jackie Williams scored in the top of the sixth to tie the game at one-apiece. With one out and Williams on third and Tiffany Prager on first after a single to right field, Amber Smith struck out looking while Prager took off for second base on a steal. Vandever attempted to catch Prager in a steal as Williams took off for the plate. The ball was cut off by Sooner second baseman Traci Dickenson and thrown home but Williams slid in past the tag for the Redbird's first and only run.
Oklahoma then scored a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the win.
In the second game, Illinois State came back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, holding Florida International scoreless for the remainder of the game. The Redbirds scored two runs in the fourth, with Williams and freshman Kara Nelson being credited with the RBI, and then went onto score another pair of runs in the fifth, making the score 5-3. Smith singled to center field on a hard hit grounder to start the fifth and was joined on the bases by Warning, who walked. Nicholson then recorded two RBI when she singled and advanced to second on a wild throw, and Andrea Shifflet, who came into pinch run for Smith, and Warning, both scored on throw.
The ISU offensive attack continued as the `Birds rallied to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth to lock up the victory. The inning was highlighted by a Jessie Buker double to left field. With the bases loaded, Buker took a fast ball to left field, driving in three runners in the five-hit, five-run inning.
Buker led the Redbirds with three RBI, as Warning and Nicholson each added a pair. Prager and Nelson both went three-for-seven on the day, while Prager added four put-outs and seven assists at second base. Senior pitcher Stacy Birk tallied the win the circle for Illinois State, striking out four and allowing eight hits.
The Redbirds will take on Illinois and No. 16 Louisville on Saturday in the second day of the Diamond Fun & Sun Classic in Miami. Illinois defeated Louisville 6-2 on Friday and were slated to play Florida International at 7 p.m. Louisville fell to 0-2, after dropping the tournament's first game to Oklahoma, 7-5.
