March 14, 2007
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -
Loyola used two home runs in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader to down the No. 17 Illinois State softball team, 3-0, Wednesday afternoon at Redbird Softball Complex. The Redbirds and the Ramblers went back and forth in game two, but ISU pulled away with the 9-7 victory before the game could be called for rain in the bottom of the fifth.
Suffering their first shutout loss of the season, the game-one defeat snapped a six-game winning streak as ISU moves to 20-6 in 2007. The Ramblers improved to 4-11 with the game one win.
Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer, who collected her 700th Illinois State win on Wednesday night, felt her team played consistent defense in both ball games.
"I thought defensively we played well in both games but we just couldn't get the hits we needed in the first game," said Fischer. "We couldn't find the offensive rhythm and we were out of sync. With only three hits in the first ball game, you're going to have to have at least two of those three be back-to-back to produce some runs. We just weren't able to get anything going. I was proud of the way we were able to get runs and stay in the second game. We got hits with runners in scoring position and battled to take the lead and win the game."
After a quick first inning that saw six total batters for both squads, Loyola catcher Raven Gengler smacked a Stacy Birk pitch over the left field wall for the Ramblers' first hit and run of the game.
The `Birds didn't pick up their first hit until the bottom of the fourth inning when Jessie Buker roped a ball to third baseman Katerina Krause with two outs. Krause leapt to catch the hit but couldn't make the play. Buker was stranded on first as the ensuing Redbird batter collected the third out of the inning.
Both squads stalled in the fifth inning but Loyola secured the three-run shutout in the top of the sixth when Krause hit a two-run bomb again to left field to secure the Rambler victory.
Illinois State, who entered the game averaging 8.3 hits per game, collected only three hits in the loss. Starting her 95th game in a Redbird uniform, Birk tied the career starts mark in game one and shouldered the loss for ISU, moving to 8-3 on the year. The senior right hander gave up five hits and earned all three runs, while striking out five and walking a pair.
Game two started after a 30-minute lightning delay and the Redbirds were the first on the board, scoring a single run in the bottom of the first. Buker, who went 2-for-3 in game one, continued her hot-hitting streak, and used an RBI single to plate Kara Nelson, who opened the inning with a double to right center field.
But Loyola answered in the top of the second, plating four runs off Illinois State starter Amber Smith. The sophomore pitcher walked three Ramblers in the inning and gave up three singles. Adding an additional run in the top of the third, Krause drove a triple to score center fielder Nora Schober and put LUC up, 5-1.
Tiffany Prager led off the bottom of the third, pounding a double into left center field to spark the Redbird offense. Smith followed with a single through the left side, as Prager advanced to second and into scoring position. Exploding for a three-run homer, Kelsey Warning then cleared the bases and pulled the `Birds within one, 5-4, heading into the fourth.
Loyola was forced to switch pitchers, bringing in Krista Crosson for starter Amy Solava in the fourth, after Solava gave up a single to Nelson and an error by left fielder Ellen Kresl put Prager on first. Smith plated Nelson with a single to center field as ISU tied the score at five.
Birk took over for Smith in the circle but gave up another homer to Krause, her second of the day, another two-run blast that cleared the right field wall and restored Loyola's lead, 7-5. The Redbird defense, however, rallied to collect the next two outs and end the top of the fifth.
Buker, who finished the day with a 4-for-six effort, opened the fifth inning with a single to left field, while Andrea Shifflet came in to pinch run. But Shifflet quickly rounded the bases as freshman designated player Michelle Henderson powered the fifth home run of her career into right field to plate two RBI. Illinois State scored two more runs before the game would be called for rain.
Missouri Valley Conference play starts for the `Birds and the visiting Northern Iowa Panthers on Saturday for a three game weekend series. The teams will square off in a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at noon, and play a single noon contest on Sunday.
