Feb. 27, 2009
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ga. -
On a day in which the skies overhead were overcast and threatening rain, the Illinois State softball team (6-6) had a sunny disposition behind it as the Redbirds strung together their most complete games of the season thus far with wins over Long Island and South Carolina Friday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic at the South Commons Complex & Stadium in Columbus, Ga. Illinois State recorded a 4-1 win over Long Island in the morning game, followed by a dominant 7-0 shutout of South Carolina.
Freshman pitcher Jordan Birch (3-3) continued her solid pitching for the Redbirds, as she followed up her one-hit win over Kent State two weeks ago (Feb. 15) with her first-career shutout (Illinois State's first shutout win of the season) in a 7-0 win over South Carolina.
Senior pitcher Amber Smith (2-3) also looked sharp in the circle for ISU. Smith earned the 4-1, complete-game win over Long Island after she surrendered just three hits and one earned run, while striking out four Blackbird batters and walking only two.
Illinois State was led at the plate by Smith and sophomore Abby Olson. Smith had four hits in six at-bats, along with two RBI, while Olson drove in four runs, including a clutch two-run home run against South Carolina, and recorded three extra-base hits on the day.
Junior Kara Nelson made her season debut for the Redbirds at second base against Long Island after missing ISU's first 10 games of the season with a broken left hand she suffered Feb. 5 - just one day prior to the start of the 2009 season. Nelson was named to the ASA Initial Top-50 Watch List for the National Player of the Year Award prior to the start of the season.
RECAP: ILLINOIS STATE 4, LONG ISLAND 1
Illinois State plated a run in both the first and second innings of its 4-1 win over Long Island in Friday's morning game. Two errors in the game by Long Island led to three of the Redbirds' four runs, as the Blackbirds' defense twice failed to record a third out with two outs in an inning and ISU runners in scoring position.
The Redbirds put the game away in the top of the fifth inning after Nelson singled up the middle and came around to score following a wild pitch and a throwing error by Long Island. Catcher Casey Gorrell then reached base on a fielding error by Long Island's first baseman, and went on to score the Redbirds' fourth run on an RBI single by centerfielder Katie Mathis.
Long Island scored its lone run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning after a leadoff double by Mariesha Marker gave way to a wild pitch by Smith that scored Marker.
RECAP: ILLINOIS STATE 7, SOUTH CAROLINA 0
Illinois State's first shutout of the season saw a dominant pitching performance from a freshman pitcher for the Redbirds that has already established herself as having a knack for producing dominant pitching performances. Freshman Jordan Birch threw seven scoreless innings against a strong South Carolina team that was receiving votes in the NFCA Coaches Poll to lead Illinois State to a 7-0 shutout over the Gamecocks.
Birch allowed only five South Carolina batters to reach base after she surrendered three hits, two walks and struck out four in the win.
Senior left fielder Jessie Buker, who was mired in a 1-for-24 slump entering play Friday, got the Redbirds scoring early when she singled up the middle in the bottom of the second inning to score Michelle Henderson.
In the third inning, an RBI walk by Buker started the scoring for ISU again. Olson then singled to score Niki Stansell to give the Redbirds a 3-0 lead.
Illinois State broke the game wide open in the bottom of the sixth after a two-RBI single by Smith scored both Stansell and pinch runner Jessica Roche. With one runner still on base, Olson stepped to the plate and drove a Kierstyn White pitch just over the right-center field fence for a two-run home run that gave Illinois State its final 7-0 margin of victory over South Carolina.
Illinois State will return to action at 10:30 a.m. CT Saturday against Georgia Tech, followed by a 5:30 p.m. CT game against No. 20/22 LSU. Those games may be delayed or cancelled, however, as heavy rains are forecast for the Columbus, Ga., area Saturday. Stay tuned to GoRedbirds.com for up-to-date information on Illinois State's Saturday game schedule at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, TRC gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
