April 26, 2008
Final Stats | Postgame Quotes 
NORMAL, Ill. -
A home run by sophomore Michelle Henderson, along with hits from six of nine batters in its lineup, propelled the Illinois State softball team (24-18 overall, 14-6 Missouri Valley Conference) to an 8-3 win over Valley foe Drake (22-22, 11-8 MVC) Saturday afternoon at the Redbird Softball Complex in game two of the Redbirds-Bulldogs three-game MVC series. The win was the second of the day for Illinois State over Drake, as the Redbirds also won game one, 8-0, in five innings.
The win secured the fifth series victory over a Valley opponent this season for Illinois State and pushed the Redbirds' record to six-games above .500 (24-18) for the first time this season.
ISU scored four of its runs in the game off the bats of starting pitcher Rachel Smith and first baseman Michelle Henderson. Smith was 1-for-2 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored, while Henderson also drove in two runs on one base hit and scored a run of her own.
Rachel Smith (7-5) earned the win for the Redbirds after she pitched four full innings and allowed three runs to the Bulldogs on seven hits. Pitching in relief of Rachel Smith, junior Amber Smith earned her first save of the season after she came in to pitch in the top of the fifth inning and did not allow a single run to the Bulldogs.
Drake starting pitcher Jenna DeLong (5-7) allowed six Illinois State runs (none earned) on three hits to suffer her seventh loss of the season.
After being shut out in game one, 8-0, in five innings, Drake came back early in game two, as a solo home run by Jaci Faidley in the top of the second inning gave the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.
Illinois State answered right back in the bottom of the third inning with six runs on just three hits, as DeLong gave up three walks in the inning. After second baseman Tiffany Prager led off the frame with a walk, third baseman Kara Nelson pushed a perfectly-place bunt past Delong to put two Redbird runners on base. After both runners advanced a base apiece on a long fly ball to center field by Amber Smith, a ground ball off the bat of left fielder Jessie Buker was booted by the Drake shortstop, which allowed Prager to score and tied the game at 1-1.
Pinch hitter Jennifer Brown produced the Redbirds' second run of the inning after her two-out, bases-loaded walk allowed Nelson to score from third base. One batter later, a line-drive single into right field by Rachel Smith scored two more ISU runs, and then a single up the middle by center fielder Katie Mathis plated another run for the Redbirds. ISU scored its final run of the inning when a single by Prager pushed across Rachel Smith and gave the Redbirds a 6-1 advantage.
Drake scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning, one of which came on an unorthodox steal of home. After the Bulldogs loaded the bases on three-straight singles, another single by Drake, this time from DeLong, scored the first run of the frame. Then, a wild pitch with Marilyn Buss at bat set in motion one of the strangest plays of the season, as the Bulldog runner from third base attempted to score but then stopped half between third and home plate. While that was happening, both Drake runners on first and second base moved up one base apiece, necessitating the Drake runner at third base to get into a rundown. Illinois State then tried to get the trailing Drake runner out at second base, and in the process, the runner at third base made a move to score, which prompted Amber Smith to errantly throw home, as the Bulldogs finally scored a run on the play.
The Redbirds added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. With catcher Casey Gorrell on base after reaching via a walk, Henderson lined a Mandy Osborn pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run that gave the Redbirds an 8-3 lead.
Illinois State will conclude its three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against Drake at noon Sunday from the Redbird Softball Complex.
