April 14, 2008
Box Score
EAST PEORIA, Ill. -
With the Redbirds trailing by two runs (7-5) and down to their last two outs in the game, sophomore first baseman Michelle Henderson did exactly what Amber Smith did in game one - hit a come-from-behind three-run home run to give Illinois State (18-15, 8-4 MVC) an 8-7 victory over Bradley (11-19, 3-11 MVC) in game two of the Redbirds-Braves abbreviated two-game Missouri Valley Conference series Monday night at the Eastside Centre in East Peoria, Ill. The win was ISU's seventh-straight in Missouri Valley Conference play, while Bradley dropped its ninth-consecutive game overall.
Sophomore third baseman Kara Nelson led the Redbird lineup with a perfect 3-for-3 hitting performance that included two RBI and a run scored. Nelson's three-hit performance marked the fourth time this season that the Moline, Ill., native has recorded three hits in a game. Junior shortstop Kaprice Williams followed Nelson with two hits in three at-bats, along with a career-high tying three runs scored.
In a role reversal of Monday's first game, junior Amber Smith (8-6) came in to pitch in relief of starter Rachel Smith and picked up her team-leading eighth win of the season in three full innings pitched. Amber Smith allowed just one Bradley hit, while she struck out five and walked two. Rachel Smith started the game for Illinois State and allowed four earned runs over 3 2/3 innings.
Henderson's clutch three-run home run with one out in the top of the seventh inning was her second game-winning hit of the season. The Normal, Ill., native also recorded a two-RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh against Evansville April 5 that gave Illinois State a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over the Purple Aces.
Just as it had done in Monday's first game against Bradley, Illinois State jumped on the board early via a home run. This time, it was the bat of Williams that jump-started the Redbird lineup, as she lined an Ashley Birdsong pitch over the left field fence for her third home run of the season to give ISU a 1-0 lead.
Bradley answered back in its half of the third inning, as an RBI infield single by Amanda Clack plated Stephanie Ramsey, who had reached base earlier in the inning on a double into left field.
One inning later, Ramsey put Bradley ahead by two runs (3-1) with her two-RBI single into center field that scored both Jacqueline Vitale and Jessie Musgrove. After Rachel Smith was pulled from the game following Ramsey's run-scoring single, freshman Chrissy Burton came in to pitch in relief for ISU. Burton gave up walks to the first two Bradley batters that she faced to load the bases with one out, and then Bradley's Amanda Clack broke the game wide open with a grand slam that just sneaked over Katie Mathis' head in center field, as the Braves took a 7-1 advantage.
Down by six runs after the fourth inning, Illinois State's lineup fired back in the top of the fifth inning, as it produced three runs on four hits (all singles). After Diciembre Vaca and Williams led off the inning with consecutive singles, two more singles by Nelson and Tiffany Prager drove in both ISU base runners and cut the Bradley lead to 7-3. An Amber Smith walked extended the Redbird rally, and then two batters later, Casey Gorrell walked with the bases loaded, to put ISU within three runs, 7-4.
Nelson continued her hot hitting in the game in the top of the sixth inning, as she rapped out a two-out RBI double into center field that scored Williams from second base.
Illinois State will return to action Wednesday when it takes on in-state foe Illinois in Urbana, Ill., for the Redbirds' final non-conference game of the season. The game will air live on the Big Ten Network, beginning at 6 p.m.
