Sept. 15, 2007
Final Stats
NORMAL, Ill. -
Backed by a walk-off home run off the bat of senior right fielder Andrea Shifflet in its first game, and solo home runs from junior left fielder Jessie Buker and freshman first baseman Abby Olson in its second game, the Illinois State softball team picked up two wins Saturday at the inaugural Redbird Round Robin at Redbird Softball Complex. ISU took down Western Illinois, 3-2, in the first game of the day, and then came back in the afternoon to pick up a 5-4 win over Heartland Community College.
Head coach Melinda Fischer felt that the continued improvement of her new players was a key to the two Redbird victories Saturday.
"I thought that we saw a lot of good things from our new players," said Fischer. "I saw some really good at-bats from all of our new players that batted, and that's really encouraging.
"I was really excited for Andrea (Shifflet) to come up in the seventh inning (of the first game) and hit that home run to win the game for us. She had done that earlier in the week in practice, so I thought that was good for her."
The game between ISU and Western Illinois was a back-and-forth affair, as the two teams exchanged leads twice with neither side gaining more than a one-run advantage.
ISU executed the bunt perfectly in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Junior pitcher Amber Smith advanced third baseman Kara Nelson and Prager one base apiece with a sacrifice bunt back to Western Illinois' pitcher, Lori Pankratz. One batter later, Buker dropped a bunt five feet up the first base line that died in the dirt just as the Westerwinds' first baseman came up the line to try to field it, scoring Nelson and placing Buker on first. The ISU threat ended after Prager was thrown out trying to steal home on a Redbird double steal attempt.
Two singles in the top of the third inning by Western Illinois tied the game at 1-1. With third baseman Julie DePolo on at second base and two out, right fielder Colleen Biebel lined a Smith offering into centerfield. The relay throw from the Redbirds' centerfielder Katie Thoennes appeared to have DePolo out at home plate, but DePolo slid in just under the tag of ISU catcher Casey Gorrell, tying the game at 1-1.
Nelson and Prager teamed up again in the bottom of the third inning to put the `Birds back on top. Nelson led off the inning with a line drive just inside the first base bag that rolled all the way to the right field foul pole, giving her a triple. Prager then brought Nelson home with a sharp ground ball that was booted by the Western Illinois third baseman, to put ISU on top, 2-1.
The Westerwinds got to Smith with their final run in the top of the fifth inning. Left fielder Britt Mason started the rally with a single and advanced to second when Biebel's ground ball back to ISU first baseman Michelle Henderson was just slow enough going up the line for Biebel to make it to the base safely. Two-consecutive walks later, Western Illinois had its second run of the game with the bases still loaded and just one out. Smith got out of the inning without giving up any more runs when she induced successive groundouts from Lauren Furgula and Erin Schlotfeldt.
The score stayed knotted at 2-2 until the bottom of the seventh, when Shifflet ended the game with one swing of the bat. Leading off the inning, Shifflet drove a Pankratz offering over the left field fence that curled just inside the foul pole for a walk-off solo home run to give the Redbirds a 3-2 win, the fourth of their fall season.
Buker paced the `Birds with a 2-for-3, one-RBI performance at the plate. Beibel was the main offensive force for Western Illinois, as she led the Westerwinds with two hits in four at-bats and one RBI.
Smith pitched seven innings, giving up two runs, both earned, on five hits. She improved her fall pitching record to 3-0.
Facing Heartland Community College in its second game of the day, the Redbirds' stellar bunting skills once again allowed ISU to pick up an early lead. With Nelson on at second after leading off the game with a double in the right field gap, Prager placed a bunt that settled less than a foot in front of home plate, allowing Nelson to move up to third base. Buker came to the plate next and lined a pitch from Heartland's Hannah Dow deep over the center field fence for her fourth home run of the fall season, a two-run shot that gave ISU a 2-0 lead.
ISU threatened once again in the second inning, loading the bases with two outs. Dow settled down, however, getting Prager to ground out to second base to end the inning and keep the score 2-0, Redbirds.
Walks plagued ISU starting pitcher Chrissy Burton in the top of the third inning, as the right-hander gave up three in the frame, leading to one Hawk run.
Freshman Abby Olson provided ISU with an insurance run in the bottom of the third inning when she took a Dow offering over the center field fence for a solo home run to give the Redbirds a 3-1 lead.
The Hawks knocked Burton out of the game after scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Redbird defense faltered late in the inning, giving way for two Hawk runs to come in. A Dow ground ball to third base was overthrown by Nelson, allowing two Heartland runners to score and tie the game at 3-3. One batter later, Callie Schmidt's single scored Dow and gave the Hawks their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Freshman center fielder Katie Mathis got the Redbirds back into the game in the bottom of the sixth. After sophomore left fielder Diciembre Vaca led off the inning with a double down the left field line, Mathis came to the plate two batters later and beat out an infield single back to the Heartland third baseman, scoring Vaca, and re-tying the game at 4-4.
Just as they had done in their first game Saturday, the Redbirds waited until the bottom of the seventh inning to take control of the game and earn their fifth win of the fall season. With Buker on second base after singling earlier in the inning, a Kasey Martin fly ball to the Hawks' right fielder was dropped, allowing Buker to come all the way around from second and give ISU the 5-4 victory.
Walk-on freshman Amy Mitchell, who came in to pitch in relief of Burton with one out in the top of the fifth inning, picked up the win for the Redbirds. Mitchell pitched 2.1 innings, allowing just two hits, while giving up no runs. Burton, who started the game in the circle for ISU, pitched 4.2 innings, giving up four Heartland runs on six hits.
Fischer was impressed with the work of the three pitchers that she used in Saturday's two wins.
"Amber (Smith) really battled today in key situations in the first game, and Chrissy (Burton) was much improved from her first outing in the circle in our second game," said Fischer.
Illinois State returns to action Sunday when it travels to the Chicagoland Fall Classic in Orland Park, Ill. The Redbirds will face Kirkwood Community College at 10 a.m., followed by matchups against Indiana at noon and DePaul at 4 p.m.
