Oct. 2, 2010
NORMAL, Ill. -
The Illinois State softball team earned a pair of wins on the first day of the State Farm Illinois Collegiate Softball Championship at Champion Fields in Normal, Ill. The Redbirds defeated Northern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville to advance into the Gold Bracket and will play Southern Illinois tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.
The 12-team event is hosted by the Bloomington-Normal Area Sports Commission, Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Town of Normal Parks and Recreation Department and Illinois State Athletics, with State Farm Insurance serving as the official title sponsor.
DePaul cruised through Pool A, defeating Bradley, 12-4, and Lake Land College, 17-1, to earn its way into the Gold Bracket. Lake Land defeated Bradley, 7-3, in the first game of pool play to advance into the Silver Bracket, and Bradley will compete in the Bronze Bracket after a 0-2 start.
The Redbirds captured Pool B with their two wins and will play in Sunday's Gold Bracket. SIU Edwardsville used a five-run seventh to earn a 5-3 victory over Northern Illinois in the second game of pool play and advanced to the Silver Bracket, while Northern Illinois finished 0-2 and will play in the Bronze Bracket.
In Pool C, all three teams finished with a 1-1 record after Saturday's contests. Eastern Illinois defeated Illinois-Chicago, 3-2, in eight innings in the opening game. However, the Flames rebounded with a 3-0 shutout win over Southern Illinois. In the final game of pool play, the Salukis prevailed, 10-1, in five innings. Southern Illinois advanced into the Gold Bracket after winning the tiebreaker, while Illinois-Chicago was slotted into the Silver Bracket and Eastern Illinois will play in the Bronze Bracket.
Northwestern won Pool D in convincing fashion with a pair of five-inning wins. The Wildcats defeated Western Illinois, 14-2, in the pool's second game and won the final game of the evening, 13-5, over Heartland. In the opening game, Western Illinois topped Heartland, 5-1, to advance into the Silver Bracket, while the Hawks will play in the Bronze Bracket.
ILLINOIS STATE GAME RECAPS
Game 1: Illinois State 6, Northern Illinois 5 (8 innings)
Illinois State jumped out to an early lead, plating two runs in the top of the first inning. Kara Nelson led off the bottom of the frame with a double down the left field line. Elizabeth Kay later scored Nelson on a fielder's choice and Elizabeth Andrews drove in the second run for ISU, scoring Lauren Kellar on a single up the middle.
Northern Illinois used four-straight hits and an error to take a 4-2 lead with no outs in the top of the fifth, forcing an Illinois State pitching change. Chrissy Burton relieved starter Megan Warner and sat down three of the next four Huskie hitters to keep the NIU advantage at two.
After the first, NIU pitcher Morgan Bittner kept the Redbird bats silent, until the Redbirds rallied in the seventh. Sara Bradley pinch hit for Shelby Music and delivered a single to left to start the frame. Music reentered to run for Bradley and moved to third on Nichelle Harrison's bunt and a NIU error. Nelson cut the Huskie lead in half with an RBI single to left that plated Music, before Abby Olson tied the game at 4-4 with drive to left that allowed Harrison to come across. Bittner retired the next two ISU hitters to force extra innings.
Adriana Sachez put Nothern Illinois back in front on a solo home run to lead off the top of the eighth, but the Redbirds responded in the bottom of the inning. Laura Canopy was hit by a pitch to begin the ISU half of the frame and scored on deep double to right by Music to retie the score at 5-5. Illinois State earned the victory 6-5 after Nelson looped a single to left field that allowed Music to score the winning run from second.
Burton earned the win in the circle for Illinois State, while Stephanie Tofft suffered the loss for Northern Illinois after relieving Bittner to start the bottom of the eighth.
Game 2: Illinois State 2, SIU Edwardsville 1
After SIU Edwardsville defeated Northern Illinois 5-3 in the second game of pool play, the Cougars and Redbirds met to decide the Pool B winner.
SIUE struck first in the bottom of the second, taking a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Kasey Schlafke. The Redbirds responded with a two-run blast from Kellar in the top of the fourth to give ISU a 2-1 lead.
Kellar's home run would prove to be the game-winner as ISU's Jordan Birch went the distance and earned the win in the circle for the Redbirds. The Cougars threatened in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out double from Paige Sheeder, but Birch got the final two outs on a pop up and a ground ball to Andrews.
With the win, the Redbirds improved to 2-0 for the tournament and advanced into the Gold Bracket. Illinois State will face Southern Illinois tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the first round of bracket play.
