March 14, 2009
Box Score
PEORIA, Ill. -
The sign entering town may have read "PEORIA," but for the Illinois State softball team, Saturday afternoon's 2-1 victory over in-state rival and Missouri Valley Conference foe Bradley (8-8 overall, 0-1 Missouri Valley Conference) was officially the Redbirds' first home game of the season, as poor playing conditions at Marian Kneer Softball Stadium forced the two rivals to move the first game of their three-game conference series 45 miles up the road. A two-run home run by senior catcher Casey Gorrell was all the offense the Redbirds needed to improve to 12-9 overall and 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Six ISU batters picked up hits in the game, with Gorrell leading the Reedbird offense with a 1-for-3 performance, a run scored and two RBI. Third baseman Abby Olson doubled into right field in the bottom of the first inning to set up the Redbirds' two-run rally.
Senior pitcher Amber Smith threw a complete-game, three-hitter - her second of the season - to improve to 4-5 in the circle. The Fairfield, Calif., native surrendered just one earned run, struck out one and allowed two walks.
Just as she has done all season long, Gorrell got Illinois State's offense started with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. Gorrell's home run was her team-high fourth of the season, which puts her just one home run shy of her entire long ball total from 2008 (5).
Bradley responded in the top of the second inning with a run of its own, as an RBI single by Alycia Bachkora drove in Jackie Roth. Bachkora ended the play when she was tagged out between second and third base, but Roth had already scored, cutting Illinois State's lead to 2-1.
Both starting pitchers - Smith for Illinois State and Birdsong for Bradley - then engaged in a pitcher's duel for the remainder of the game. At one point, Smith retired nine-straight batters following a base on balls she gave up in the top of the second inning.
The scoring stalemate held up through the end of the game, as neither side was able to push a run across against the dominant pitching performances of Smith and Birdsong. Birdsong, who finished the game four strikeouts shy of setting the Bradley career strikeouts record, dropped to 4-4 on the season.
Illinois State will conclude its conference-opening series against Bradley with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Sunday at Laura Bradley Park in Peoria, Ill. Sunday's doubleheader was originally scheduled to be played at Marian Kneer Softball Stadium in Normal, Ill., but due to poor playing conditions, the conclusion of the series has been moved to Bradley's home facility.
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