March 21, 2007
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -
Amber Smith sparked the Redbird offense with a two-run homer in the first inning and went on to pick up the win in the circle for the No. 17 Illinois State softball team, as the `Birds put together a 4-3 win over No. 18 DePaul Wednesday afternoon at Redbird Softball Complex.
With the victory, ISU improves to 7-3 on the year against ranked opponents and moves to 25-6 overall. The Blue Demons picked up their second straight loss, falling to 16-7 in 2007.
Redbird head coach Melinda Fischer believes this week's wins will help her team as they approach the heart of the conference race.
"I thought this team did a great job with Illinois and then today with DePaul," said Fischer. "We're trying to prepare ourselves for conference play and the team competed hard to get these two mid-week wins."
DePaul took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Marcy Wilus roped a Smith pitch up the right field line for a double. Wilus was credited with an RBI when Amber Patton, who reached on a bunt single, came across to score the first run of the game.
Smith jumpstarted the Redbird offense in her first at bat, just as she did in yesterday's win over Illinois, taking her first pitch over the left field wall for a two-run shot in the bottom of the first to put ISU up, 2-1. The home run was the seventh of the year for the sophomore utility player and Smith needs just one more to tie the career homer mark at ISU. Illinois State has now hit 43 long balls on the year, just 8 shy of the ISU season record. Kara Nelson scored the opening run for the `Birds after opening the inning with a single to left.
Illinois State catcher Casey Gorrell also picked up where she left off last night, opening the second with a hard hit double off the center field wall and advanced to second on a Diciembre Vaca ground out to second. Jackie Williams then plated Gorrell on a single to left field, giving ISU a 3-1 advantage, but Williams was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double for the inning's third out.
Picking up another run in the top of the third, DePaul cut the Redbird lead to one. But, with runners on first and second, it was Jessie Buker's turn to earn an RBI as the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week smacked a center field double. Nelson came around to score her second run of the game, padding the Illinois State lead, 4-2.
With one out in the top of the fourth, Blue Demon center fielder Linda Secka launched a long ball to left that just cleared the wall, cutting the score to 4-3. DePaul switched pitchers in the fourth with Becca Heteniak coming in for starter Megan Huitink. Heteniak walked Gorrell, the first Redbird batter she faced, but then stifled the ISU offense, retiring six straight batters until the bottom of the sixth when she walked Buker, who led off the ISU lineup. Coming in to pinch run, Andrea Shifflet advanced to second on a Stacy Birk sacrifice bunt. But two consecutive outs ended the inning and Redbird scoring threat.
Birk came in to relieve Smith after the starter walked a Blue Demon to open the seventh. Birk benched the next two batters to pick up the save, her third of the year, and now has sole possession of the career saves mark in the Redbird record books with seven. Smith improved to 3-0 on the year with the win.
"Amber threw a heck of a ballgame," said Fischer. "I really thought she kept DePaul off-balance by picking her pitches well. I'm proud of the way she stepped up pitching for us today."
Illinois State travels to Evansville, Ind., this weekend looking to improve upon its 3-0 Missouri Valley Conference start. The Redbirds and the Purple Aces will play a three-game set, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon. Sunday will feature a noon matchup between the Valley foes.
