Feb. 10, 2008
Final Stats
ORLANDO -
Despite a 2-for-3 effort from the hot-hitting Tiffany Prager, the Illinois State softball team (2-3) was unable to pull out a tightly-contested, extra-inning game against Kansas (4-1), as the Redbirds lost, 4-3, in 10 innings Sunday afternoon at the Central Florida Tournament at the UCF Softball Complex. The Redbirds played in their first extra-inning game since May 6, 2007, when ISU defeated Missouri Valley Conference foe Missouri State, 1-0, in 12 innings.
With the game in extra innings and the international tie-breaker rule in effect, whereby a team's last batter in the previous inning was placed at second base to start the inning with no outs, Kansas ended the game in the bottom of the tenth inning after Sara Ramirez pushed Betsy Wilson, who had started the inning at second base with no outs via the tiebreaker rule, up to third base. A single through the right side by Amanda Jobe drove in Wilson, as the Jayhawks took their second-straight victory over the Redbirds.
Illinois State's powerful offensive lineup started the scoring early, as Amber Smith lined a pitch past the Jayhawk left fielder for a double that drove Prager, who reached earlier in the inning on a double of her own. The Redbirds added another run later in the inning when junior left fielder Jessie Buker sneaked a hard hit groundball through the Kansas second baseman's glove that scored Prager, as ISU took a 2-0 lead after a half inning.
As has been the case throughout the Central Florida Tournament, walks given up by Redbird pitchers once again haunted ISU. After starting pitcher Amy Mitchell walked two batters early in the second inning and gave up a single, an RBI walk by left fielder Betsy Wilson cut the Redbird lead in half at 2-1. Wilson's RBI walk marked the second-straight game that Mitchell had walked-in a run with the bases loaded. Mitchell's day in the circle came to an end two batters later after she walked in another Jayhawk run to tie the game. Junior transfer Rachel Smith then came in to pitch in relief of Mitchell with one out and the bases still loaded.
Kansas continued to take advantage of ISU's pitching, as Elle Pottorf reached on an infield single with two out and the bases loaded to drive in the Jayhawks' third run of the game.
The Redbirds appeared to be in position to answer back in the top of the third inning, as sophomore third baseman Kara Nelson led off the inning with a walk and then advanced a base on a single by Prager - her second-straight hit of the day. Nelson then tried to score on Amber Smith's line-drive single to left-center field, but she was thrown out by Wilson in left field. The Redbird rally ended one batter later when Buker lined out to right field.
Illinois State tied the game in the top of the fifth inning after Nelson reached base on a fielding error by the Jayhawks' first baseman. Nelson then advanced to second base via a groundout to shortstop by Prager, and then came all the way around to score on a multiple-error play by Kansas. The Jayhawk catcher's pickoff attempt of Nelson at second base was booted for the first error of the play, as Nelson moved up to third, and then center fielder Dougie McCaulley's throw to third base to try to nail Nelson skidded past the Kansas third baseman and allowed Nelson to score on the second error of the play and third Jayhawk error of the inning.
The Jayhawks had a chance to take a win in the bottom of the seventh inning after Val Chapple led off the frame with a single to center field and then advanced to second base off a sacrifice bunt by Liz Kocon. Amber Smith, who had come in to pitch in relief of Rachel Smith in the bottom of the fifth inning, then induced two-straight Kansas strikeouts to send the game to extra innings.
"I thought we competed much better against Kansas (Sunday), than we did against them (Saturday)." Illinois State head softball coach Melinda Fischer said. "We took advantage of some of their miscues. I was pleased with the way that we battled, and I was also pleased with our overall effort."
Amber Smith (0-3) suffered the loss for the Redbirds, after she pitched 4.1 innings in relief. The right-hander from Fairfield, Calif., yielded one run on two hits, while she walked two and struck out six Kansas batters.
After a four-day layoff, Illinois State will return to action Friday when it travels to the Schutt Sports Invitational in Miami. ISU will open tournament play against Providence at 2 p.m. CST.
