March 22, 2008
Final Stats
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -
For the second time in as many days, the Redbirds were shut down by the Missouri Valley Conference's No. 1 pitcher, as the Illinois State softball team (11-12, 1-2 MVC) produced just two hits against Missouri State's Melissa Porche in a 6-0 loss to the Bears (14-5, 3-2 MVC) in the rubber match of the three-game series at the Missouri State Softball Field. Just three Redbird batters reached base in the game, led by Kara Nelson's double in the sixth inning and Casey Gorrell's single in the third inning, the Redbirds' first hit in the game.
The game featured two of The Valley's top pitchers, Illinois State's Rachel Smith and Missouri State's Porche. Both pitchers entered the game ranked in the top-10 in the MVC in earned-run average (ERA) (Porche - 1st; Smith - 3rd), and both were coming off of dominant victories in Friday's doubleheader, as Smith recorded her second-career shutout in the second game (8-0), while Porche struck out 14 Redbirds in the first game.
Smith (3-2) was dominant through the first four innings of the game, as she allowed just one MSU hit through those frames. The dominance wasn't to last, however, as Smith picked up her second loss of the season after she allowed five earned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, all of which came with two outs.
A key defensive decision by Redbird first baseman Amber Smith led to the Bears extending their half of the fifth inning and gave way to MSU taking control of the game with six runs in the frame. With the game locked in a 0-0 tie, Amber Smith fielded a sacrifice bunt attempt by MSU's Jenna Schwark and threw to second base to try to throw out the MSU runner who was advancing from first base. Smith's throw was late, which set Missouri State up for a two-runners-on, no outs situation. A subsequent sacrifice bunt by the Bears and an intentional walk loaded the bases with just one out, which gave way to MSU scoring its first run of the game, as Christa Gammon drew a four-pitch walk to force in Schwark from third base.
One batter later, the Bears broke the game wide open, as Michelle Armentrout's double into the right-center field gap cleared the bases and gave MSU a 4-0 lead in a game that went from a 0-0 pitcher's duel prior to the inning to a commanding lead for the home team. The Bears added to their lead off of a two-run home run by Jessie Smith, as MSU batted-around in the inning.
"We didn't start battling (Saturday) until we got down in the sixth inning," Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer said. "We had three good at-bats in the sixth inning, but we couldn't score off of (Missouri State starting pitcher Melissa Porche). Porche pitched a great game against us. Casey (Gorrell) had a good day at the plate, and Tiffany (Prager) hit the ball hard, but other than that, we did not have any offensive production (Saturday)."
Gorrell broke the ISU hitless streak with a single into left field with one out in the top of the third inning. The hit marked the first base runner for the Redbirds against Porche in 10 at-bats, dating back to Friday's 3-2 loss to Missouri State in game one of the series.
Aside from Gorrell's single in the third inning and a hit by the Bears in the bottom of the second inning, neither side was able to get much offensive momentum going in the early innings of the game, as the two teams combined for just four base runners through the game's first three innings.
The Redbirds had their best chance at scoring thwarted in the top of the sixth inning, as after junior Katie Mathis walked to lead off the inning and Nelson doubled down the left field line, a line drive by senior Tiffany Prager back to the Missouri State third baseman doubled off Mathis at third base, which ended ISU's chances of getting back into the game.
Illinois State will head on the road again Tuesday when it travels to Chicago to take on 2007 Women's College World Series participant DePaul. First pitch from Cacciatore Stadium is slated for 2 p.m.
