April 2, 2008
Final Stats
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -
With the Illinois State offense struggling to the tune of a .170 team batting average over its last two games coming into its Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader against Indiana State Wednesday, junior pitcher/first baseman Amber Smith picked the Redbirds up in a big way, as she went 2-for-4 with an RBI in game two to propel the Illinois State softball team to a 2-1 victory over the Sycamores from Price Field in Terre Haute, Ind. Smith was a combined 6-for-8 in Wednesday's doubleheader, as Illinois State moved to 13-14 overall, 3-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Indiana State dropped to 9-16-1, 2-6 MVC.
Smith's three RBI on the day moved her into a tie with former Redbird Priscilla Welch (1994-97) for third place on the Illinois State career RBI list with 102.
Sophomore third baseman Kara Nelson and senior second baseman Tiffany Prager each went 1-for-3 in the game with a run scored. Junior Jessie Buker also went 1-for-3 at the plate and drove in the Redbirds' only other run of the game with a single in the third inning.
After both sides combined for 18 runs in game one, with 12 of those coming from Illinois State, the two teams' offenses were a little more subdued in game two, as the Redbirds and Sycamores tallied just three runs total on 16 hits.
After the Sycamores committed seven errors in Wednesday's first game, the Indiana State defense came back in game two with a more solid effort, as it made just one defensive miscue in the game. Highlighting the Sycamores' defensive efforts in the game was a sliding catch by center fielder Reva LeDune off of a sinking line drive by Smith in the top of the fifth inning.
Pitching in relief of freshman starter Amy Mitchell, who pitched the first 3 2/3 innings of game two and allowed one earned run on five hits, freshman Chrissy Burton (3-3) recorded her third victory of the season for Illinois State. Burton did not allow any runs over 3 1/3 innings pitched, while she scattered just three hits and walked none.
Just as she had done in the Wednesday's first game, a 12-6 victory for the Redbirds, Smith produced in the clutch, as she lined a one-out RBI single into right field in the top of the third inning that scored Nelson from second base. Two batters later, Smith scored when Buker singled sharply into left field, as Illinois State went up, 2-0.
A two-out solo home run by Indiana State's Katie Icoangeli in the bottom of the fourth inning was the only offense that Indiana State could muster in the game, as the Redbird lead was cut in half at 2-1. The Sycamores continued to threaten in the inning, as the next two Indiana State batters reached base, which forced Mitchell out of the game in favor of Burton. The freshman right-hander got the Redbirds out of the jam with a strikeout of Sam Markowski that preserved Illinois State's slim, 2-1 advantage heading into the final three innings.
Illinois State will return to action Saturday and Sunday when it plays host to Evansville in a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series at the Redbird Softball Complex. On Saturday, the Redbirds will take on the Purple Aces in a noon doubleheader, while the series will conclude with a single game at noon Sunday.
