April 5, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
The bitter cold weather and strong winds can't keep the No. 19 Illinois State softball team off the field. The Redbirds will host Missouri Valley Conference rival Bradley in a three-game series on April 6-7. Because of the Easter holiday, the typical league set will be played with a single game on Friday at 4 p.m. at Redbird Softball Complex, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.
After a four-day break, the `Birds enter the weekend with a 30-9 overall record and 8-3 MVC mark. ISU sits in third in the conference, behind Creighton and Southern Illinois.
Redbird head coach Melinda Fischer, whose team dropped back-to-back games at Wichita State last weekend, is looking for her team to play more consistently.
"I thought we rebounded pretty well on Sunday in our final game with Wichita State," said Fischer. "In order to get on track, we need to stick with our game plan and get back to playing consistently. Last weekend we played pretty good defense and at times swung the bat well, so we need to continue doing both those things to get positive results."
Illinois State owns a commanding 43-15 lead in the all-time series with Valley foe Bradley. ISU downed the Braves earlier this year at the SEMO Spring Classic, shutting-out Bradley, 8-0, in a five-inning contest. A three-run shot in the bottom of the first off the bat of Kelsey Warning and a third inning grand slam from Casey Gorrell lifted the then-No. 18 Illinois State softball team over Bradley, 8-0, in the opening game of the tournament in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Last season, the `Birds took two of three games from the Braves, with BU winning the last meeting, 2-0, in Peoria, Ill.
Bradley is off to a 19-10 overall start just past the half-way point this season and are an even 4-4 in the Valley, good enough for fifth place. The Braves have been hot of late, winning five consecutive games and six of their last seven outings with a series sweep against Drake last weekend. BU defeated the Bulldogs in a three-game set in Peoria, Ill., 7-2, 7-5, 8-7. The only other league game the Braves have won was a March 25 matchup against Missouri State (1-0). Bradley split with the Bears, losing to them in the nightcap (3-1) and previously dropped a three-game series at Southern Illinois (2-0, 9-0, 2-0).
"Bradley is really playing well right now, especially after sweeping Drake last weekend," Fischer continued. "We had a chance to play against them earlier this season at SEMO and both teams got a look at the other. We didn't see their ace Ashley Birdsong pitch, though, and we know she is a strong pitcher, so we will need to be prepared for that."
