March 29, 2008
Box Score
CARBONDALE, Ill. -
Just as she did in her record-setting six-RBI performance against UNC-Charlotte Feb. 29, freshman designated player Abby Olson put the Redbird offense on her back with her second-career home run to break a 0-0 tie in the top of the fourth inning, but it was not enough, as Illinois State (11-13, 1-3) lost its second-straight Missouri Valley Conference game, 2-1, to Southern Illinois (16-15, 4-3 MVC) Saturday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, Ill. Olson's home run was the highlight of just a three-hit performance by the Redbird offense, as Illinois State failed to record more than three hits in a game for the 10th time this season.
Senior second baseman Tiffany Prager and sophomore first baseman Michelle Henderson were the only other Illinois State hitters to pick up a hit in the game, as each went 1-for-3 with a single in the game.
After looking sharp through the first five innings of the game, junior Amber Smith (4-6) picked up her sixth loss of the season after a two-run sixth inning by Southern Illinois squelched ISU's 1-0 lead at the time. The right-hander from Fairfield, Calif., pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, both earned, on six hits and just two walks.
With neither side able to push across a run through the first three innings despite placing runners on third base at least once in those frames, Olson broke the stalemate in the top of the fourth inning and gave Illinois State a 1-0 lead when she lined a Danielle Glosson offering over the right field fence that just curled inside the foul pole for her second-career home run.
Two innings later, facing a 32-inning stretch in which it had scored just one run, the Salukis tied the game at 1-1 after a Lauren Haas double off of the right-center field fence plated Krystal Stein, who led off the inning with a walk. One batter later, Southern Illinois took the lead for good when right fielder Katie Wilson drove in Haas with a single into center field.
Illinois State had its first chance to score in the top of the second inning. After junior catcher Casey Gorrell walked with two outs, Henderson doubled off of the right-center field fence to move Gorrell to third base. Center fielder Katie Mathis then came to the plate, and after taking two strikes and escaping what appeared to be an inning-ending third strike from Glosson, Mathis worked the count to 3-and-2 before looking at strike-three to end the Redbird scoring threat.
The Salukis threatened in the bottom half of the second inning, as they used small-ball hitting tactics to place runners on first and third base with two outs. A soft ground ball off of the bat of left fielder Katie Schmidt back to ISU third baseman Kara Nelson ended the inning.
Action will resume immediately with game two of Saturday's Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader between Illinois State and Southern Illinois from Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.
