March 2, 2009
ST. LOUIS -
After two-straight dominating pitching performances, Illinois State freshman pitcher Jordan Birch received the first major recognition of her young career when she was named the Missouri Valley Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Birch's honor was the first Valley Player or Pitcher of the Week honor for Illinois State this season and the first by a Redbird pitcher since former ISU pitcher Stacy Birk picked up MVC Pitcher of the Week honors March 12, 2007.
Birch continued to be Illinois State's best pitcher at last weekend's rain-shortened NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. She went
1-0 in two appearances (one start) at the tournament, which included a dominating 7-0 shutout of South Carolina Friday for her first-career shutout victory and Illinois State's first shutout win of the season.
Against the Gamecocks, who entered the game receiving votes in the NFCA Top-25 Poll, Birch threw seven scoreless innings and surrendered just three hits and two walks, while not allowing a single South Carolina base runner past first base.
Birch's shutout win over South Carolina came on the heels of a one-hitter she threw Feb. 15 against Kent State at the Littlewood Classic in Tempe, Ariz., to lead Illinois State to a 2-1 victory over the Golden Flashes.
For the weekend, Birch went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 8 2/3 innings pitched. She walked only two, while striking out seven and giving up just three hits. Opposing batters hit just .107 against her at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Birch and the Redbirds will return to action Friday through Sunday when they play in the Stanford Louisville Slugger Classic in Stanford, Calif.
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