March 24, 2007
Box Score
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -
Softball Splits with Evansville, Records First MVC Loss
Strong offensive production throughout the Illinois State softball lineup resulted in a 7-1 Missouri Valley Conference victory over Evansville on Saturday afternoon at Cooper Stadium. But the No. 17 Redbirds couldn't repeat that explosion in game two, as the `Birds fell to the Purple Aces, 4-3, in the nightcap.
ISU moves to 26-7 on the year, while recording their first Valley loss at 4-1. Evansville improves to 17-7, 2-4 in the MVC.
Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer believed that the things her team did well in the game one were not repeated in game two.
"We had a lot of opportunities in the first game to score runners and hit with people in scoring position and I think we did that well," said Fischer. "We left runners on base in both games but especially in that last game, we just weren't able to get that timely hit. In the second ballgame, I thought we started out strong on offense. But defensively, we walked the lead off batter, missed a double play, walked another batter and recorded an error. We had a really shaky first inning defensively and we can't be playing like that to win games in the Valley."
After a no-hit top of the first for Illinois State, sophomore utility player Jessie Buker launched a lead-off homer off Purple Aces starter Ashley Hobbs to give the `Birds a 1-0 advantage in the top of the second inning. The long ball was the seventh of the year for Buker, who started the game at shortstop and gave ISU 44 home runs on the season.
Freshman Kara Nelson opened the top of the third with a hard-hit double into deep left field and then advanced to third on a Tiffany Prager sacrifice bunt. Down in the count, 1-2, Redbird first baseman Amber Smith dropped a single into shallow left field to plate Nelson, putting the `Birds up 2-0.
Evansville threatened in its next at bat when Illinois State pitcher Stacy Birk hit Aces' second baseman Casey Kemna with a pitch. Kemna took first and advanced to third after Brittany Herald roped a pitch up the first base line. The ball caught Smith's glove at first, slowing it down and knocking it into foul territory, holding Herald at first. Birk struck out the ensuing UE batter, Krista Price, to end the inning and the Purple Ace scoring threat. Again in the bottom of the fourth, Evansville collected two consecutive hits, putting runners on second and third. But the Redbird defense rallied, collecting back-to-back outs to hold the Aces scoreless.
Prager connected for her first hit after two sacrifice bunts to open the game, putting a ball in the 3-4 hole. Prager beat the throw to first as Nelson, who lead off the inning by blasting a triple to right center field, crossed for ISU's third run. Smith walked to join Prager on the bases and Buker then collected a double and an RBI, hitting a ball through the left side as Prager scored. The Aces switched pitchers with one out in the top of the fifth, brining in Jennifer McKee for the struggling Hobbs. McKee's first batter, Birk, grounded out to first but catcher Casey Gorrell followed with a walk to load the Redbird bases. Freshman designated player Michelle Henderson then roped a single up the middle to plate Smith and Gorrell, giving Illinois State a 6-0 lead. The `Birds batted all the way through their lineup in the top of the fifth inning.
ISU added a single run in the top of the sixth but the Purple Aces attempted a rally in the bottom of the inning as Price hit a home run to open the inning for UE and prevent the shutout. Evansville then strung together a single and a double to put runners on second and third but Birk retired the next three batters to end the inning. The Redbirds took the 7-1 win after a scoreless seventh.
Recording the win in the circle for Illinois State, Birk tied the school career wins mark at 69. She gave up just one run on eight hits and struck out six batters in the complete game. The Redbirds tallied 11 hits in the victory, with Henderson leading the way with a 3-for-3 effort. Prager was also perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 and Nelson tabbed three hits in four at bats.
The Redbirds used another home run to take an early lead in game two. Kelsey Warning, the league's home run leader with 11, smacked a two-run shot over the right field fence to give ISU a 2-0, first inning advantage. But, Evansville answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, courtesy of a Jacki Bradley double to center field.
The Purple Aces took their first lead of the day, 3-2, when Herald hit a Smith pitch that settled in the right field corner. Kemna, who opened the inning with a single to right, scored as Herald settled into third. Smith retired the next three UE batters to relieve any extra runs.
After two scoreless innings, ISU plated a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game at three. But the Redbirds were forced to switch pitchers in the bottom half of the inning, bringing in Birk for relief. Entering the game with runners first and second, Birk walked two Evansville batters, including the go-ahead run as the Purple Aces re-took the lead, 4-3, which held for the final score.
Smith picked up her first loss of the year, moving to 3-1 on the season. The sophomore hurler pitched 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and walking three.
The third game of the series is scheduled for Sunday, with the first pitch at noon from Cooper Stadium in Evansville, Ind.
