March 15, 2009
PEORIA, Ill. -
Amber Smith was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with four singles and two RBI to lead the Illinois State softball team (13-10, 2-1 Missouri Valley Conference) to a 5-2 win over in-state rival Bradley in game one of Sunday's Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader at Laura Bradley Park in Peoria, Ill. Game two was a classic pitcher's duel, as each side battled through seven scoreless innings before Bradley (9-9, 1-2 MVC) scored two runs in the top of the eighth to take a 2-0 win over the Redbirds.
Senior Amber Smith had a stellar batting performance for Illinois State in game one. The Fairfield, Calif., native, who is known for her prodigious home-run hitting ability, did her damage with timely singles into left field en route to a perfect 4-for-4, two-RBI batting performance. Senior Kaprice Williams was the only other Redbird to record multiple hits on the day, as she was a combined 2-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored.
Freshman pitcher Jordan Birch (7-3) earned her seventh-straight victory in the circle for Illinois State in game one, as she picked up the 5-2 victory over seven full innings. Birch surrendered only two hits, two runs (one earned), two walks and struck out seven.
Smith (4-6) battled through seven scoreless innings in the circle in game two, but surrendered two earned runs in the top of the eighth and suffered her sixth loss of the season.
RECAP: Illinois State 5, Bradley 2 | Box Score
Illinois State busted out its big bats in the bottom of the second inning, as the Redbirds produced four runs on three hits. Williams broke out of a hitting slump with a double off the left-center field wall that drove in Jessie Buker and Katie Mathis to give the Redbirds an early 2-0 lead. Williams' two-RBI double was just her second extra-base hit of the season and produced her fifth and sixth RBI of the year.
A sacrifice fly ball by leadoff batter Niki Stansell to left field two batters later drove in ISU's third run of the inning, as Michelle Henderson came home from third base. Smith then stepped up and lined her second single of the game into center field to push Williams across, as ISU took a 4-0 lead into the third inning.
Birch had a no-hitter going through one out in the top of the fourth inning. The Monroe, Wash., native's no-hit bid was broken up when catcher Miriam Wegmann delivered a solo home run over the center-field fence for Bradley to cut ISU's lead to 4-1.
Bradley continued to chip away at the Illinois State lead in the top of the fifth inning. A throw to Williams at first base by Birch off a sacrifice bunt attempt was muffed by Williams, which allowed Alycia Bachkora to score from second base as ISU's lead was cut in half, 4-2.
The Redbirds got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when a single into left field by Smith - her fourth one-bagger of the day - drove in Stansell.
RECAP: Bradley 2, Illinois State 0 (8) | Box Score
A one-out single into right field off the bat of Bradley relief pitcher Amanda Clack in the top of the eighth inning broke a seven-inning scoring stalemate for both teams, as the Braves took the game's first lead, 1-0. Two batters later, Wegmann's single through the right side of the infield pushed across Bradley's second run of the inning and secured a 2-0 win for the Braves - their first conference victory this season.
Just as they did in Saturday's 2-1 win by Illinois State, starting pitchers Amber Smith (Illinois State) and Ashley Birdsong (Bradley) dueled in the circle through seven innings of shutout ball against each side.
After being shut down through the first two innings of game two, Illinois State saw its first real scoring opportunity vanish in the bottom of the third when the Redbirds stranded the bases loaded after putting three runners on base with just one out in the frame. Birdsong struck out two ISU batters in the inning to squelch the Redbird scoring threat, and in the process, set the Bradley career strikeouts record.
Bradley mounted its first scoring threat when catcher Jackie Roth reached third base with two outs in top of the third after singling to start the inning and then advancing two bases on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Roth was stranded at third when Lauren Meister grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.
The Braves had another chance to score in the top of the seventh inning when they placed runners on first and second base with one out. Smith was able to induce two-straight strikeouts to end the inning, as the game remained scoreless.
Illinois State will return to action at 5 p.m. Tuesday when the Redbirds officially open their 2009 home season at Marian Kneer Softball Stadium with a single non-conference game against Illinois.
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