April 2, 2008
Final Stats
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -
A combined six hits in eight at-bats from the duo of starting pitcher Amber Smith and third baseman Kara Nelson helped the Illinois State softball team (12-14, 2-4 MVC) win game one of its midweek Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader against Indiana State (9-15-1, 2-5 MVC), 12-6, Wednesday afternoon at Price Field in Terre Haute, Ind. The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Redbirds, as Illinois State won its first Valley game of the season.
Amber Smith tied a career-high for hits in a game, as she went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Junior center fielder Katie Mathis, who entered the game with just four RBI this season in 20 games played, broke out of a season-long slump with a career-high 3-for-4 hitting performance that included three RBI. With two RBI in the game, senior second baseman Tiffany Prager moved into ninth place on the Illinois State career doubles list with 31 for her career.
Pitching in relief of starter Amber Smith, who earned a no-decision after she pitched three full innings and allowed two runs, junior transfer Rachel Smith (4-3) earned her fourth win of the season after she entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with the bases loaded and no outs. Rachel Smith scattered four hits and allowed three runs, all earned, while she walked only one Sycamore batter.
The Redbird offense, which had been struggling entering the game, hitting just .205 this season in five previous Valley games, gave Amber Smith some early run support in the top of the first inning with a single run on two hits. After Nelson led off the frame with a single into right field, a sacrifice bunt by Prager advanced Nelson to second base, and then an infield single by Amber Smith placed runners on first and third with just one out. One batter later, freshman designated player Abby Olson drove in Nelson with a ground ball to the Sycamore second baseman.
The game then turned into a pitcher's duel, as Amber Smith and Indiana State starting pitcher Meagan McCurdy combined to set down 14-straight batters between both teams.
That streak ended in the top of the fourth inning, as the Redbirds put their first two runners on base, and then an infield single by first baseman Michelle Henderson loaded the bases with one out. Jessie Buker, who entered the game with just one RBI in her last eight games played, ripped a single through the middle that scored Amber Smith, who led off the inning with a single. One batter later, a ground ball by catcher Casey Gorrell was bobbled by McCurdly, which allowed Olson to score. Illinois State picked up its third run of the inning on an RBI single by Mathis.
The Sycamores responded for two runs in their half of the fourth inning to cut the Redbird lead in half, 4-2. After Amber Smith allowed the first two Indiana State batters to reach base via a leadoff double and a walk, a sharply-hit single down the right field line off the bat of Katie Icoangeli drove in the Sycamores' first run of the game. Rachel Smith then came in to pitch in relief of starter Amber Smith with no outs, with the former giving up another Indiana State run on a ground ball back to Prager that was bobbled by the Illinois State second baseman.
The Redbirds took advantage of a pair of Sycamore fielding errors in the top of the fifth inning to score two more runs. Singles by Nelson and Amber Smith drove in Gorrell and Mathis, as ISU took a 7-2 lead heading into the final two innings of the game.
Illinois Stated added an additional five runs in the top of the seventh off of another RBI single by Mathis. Later in the inning, three-straight hits by Prager, Amber Smith and Olson scored four more Redbirds, as Illinois State took a 10-run (12-2) advantage in the game.
Despite being down by 10 runs heading into the final inning, the Sycamore offense did not let up, as Indiana State scored four runs in the frame, while the Redbirds went through two pitchers in order to get the final three outs.
Game two of Illinois State's midweek Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader at Indiana State will begin at approximately 3 p.m. CDT from Price Field in Terre Haute, Ind.
