April 28, 2009
Box Score
DEKALB, Ill. - Beth Current's two-run homer and Casey Gorrell's solo shot in the top of fifth inning brought Illinois State to within one run, but it wasn't enough as five Illinois State errors proved costly in a 5-3 loss to Northern Illinois Tuesday night at Mary M. Bell Field.
Northern Illinois (16-33) took advantage of ISU's five errors with four unearned runs to go along with nine hits and 10 runners left on base. Illinois State (22-24) posted four hits and left eight runners on base. NIU's Morgan Bittner earned the win with the complete game, while Chrissy Burton took the loss for the Redbirds.
"I thought we played poorly to start off with, but came back in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning like a softball team determined to do something," said Illinois State head softball coach Melinda Fischer. "We couldn't take advantage with runners on base and just couldn't score when we needed to.
"I thought we threw the ball around (in the second inning) and lost our fundamentals," said Fischer. "I felt like even being four runs down that we had a chance to come back with our bats, but we only had one hit through five innings; so we weren't making good adjustments (at bat) either."
The Huskies plated three runs in the bottom of the second inning, after Burton walked NIU's Emily Gooding and Katie Colby moved the runner to second with a single. NIU scored its first run when Krista Matsui dropped down a bunt to advance the runners, but Casey Gorrell's throw bounced off the runner and Gooding scored.
Dani Thompson drove home NIU's second run with a single down the rightfield line that scored Colby. Thompson scored during the next at bat when Jessica Roche misplayed the ball hit by Dani Parrish to give NIU a 3-0 lead.
NIU added to its lead in the third inning when Michelle Williams scored on an error by Abby Olson, which pushed the Huskie advantage to 4-0.
ISU posted its first threat in the top of the fourth inning, but Burton struck out looking with the bases loaded and the Redbirds were unable to cut into the 4-0 Huskie lead.
The Redbird offense came to life in the top of the fifth inning. Following a walk by Diciembre Vaca, Current launched her first career home run with the Redbirds to cut the NIU lead to 4-2. After the first ISU out of the inning, Gorrell belted a pitch down the leftfield line for her eighth home run of the season, as ISU trailed, 4-3.
The Huskies scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when ISU pitcher Megan Warner bobbled a comebacker to allow another run on a Redbird error. ISU had two runners on in the top of the seventh, but Michelle Henderson was called out on three strikes for the game's final out.
The Redbirds will be back in action Saturday for the first two games of a three-game series at Missouri Valley Conference opponent Evansville. Saturday's action begins at noon inside Cooper Stadium.
