April 19, 2008
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NORMAL, Ill. -
Amber Smith helped her own cause by hitting a dramatic two-out, two-run home run to give Illinois State (19-16, 9-4 MVC) a 3-2 victory over Wichita State (27-20, 9-9 MVC) in the first game of the Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 19. Smith also picked up the victory with a complete-game effort, allowing just two runs and striking out four. The win extended ISU's MVC winning streak to eight games.
Smith was the only Redbird with multiple hits, adding a single in the first inning. Michelle Henderson hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to produce the other Redbird run. Casey Gorrell, Kara Nelson and Diciembre Vaca added singles for the Redbirds. ISU struck out 15 times in the game, the second-highest total of the season.
Heather Gerritse drove in both Wichita State runs with a pair of doubles. Kara L'Hullier was 3-for-3 with a walk on the day and scored both runs for the Shockers. Ashly Bright had 15 strikeouts in the circle, tying her own school record.
Wichita State struck first with a run in the first inning. After back-to-back one-out singles, Gerritse ripped a double to the gap in right field that scored Kara L'Hullier. With runners on second and third and one out, Smith settled down and got a strikeout and a groundout to third base to end the ending without any further damage. Gerritse drove in another run in nearly the exact same situation in the third inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Gerritse drove a double off the base of the wall in right center and L'Hullier scored again to give the Shockers a 2-0 lead. Smith managed to get out of the inning unscathed again, inducing a flyout to right field and a groundout to short.
ISU's offense struggled to start the game as the first trip through the Redbird lineup produced six strikeouts for Bright. ISU put a runner on base in each of the first three innings, but none of the advanced past first base.
The Redbird bats came alive in the fourth inning. Henderson led off the inning with a home run to left center, her second of the year, to cut the deficit to 2-1. A single by Vaca and two sacrifice bunts put runners on second and third with just one out, but Bright struck out the next two batters to keep the Shockers ahead after four innings.
Bright held the Redbirds at bay over the next two innings, putting them down in order, including striking out the side in the fifth inning. The score remained 2-1 as ISU came to the plate for the last time in the seventh inning. After Kaprice Williams flew out to left field, Katie Mathis drew a walk, putting the tying run on base with the top of the Redbird lineup coming up. Nelson struck out, but Smith came through with the game-winning walk-off home run, blasting a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall to give the Redbirds the come-from-behind victory.
Tiffany Prager missed the game with a dislocated shoulder, snapping her streak of 151-consecutive starts at second base. Due to the injury, Nelson started for the first time at second base and Abby Olson made her first-career start at third base. Prager is out indefinitely with the shoulder injury.
