Feb. 11, 2011
Box Score
ATHENS, Ga. -
The Illinois State softball team split a pair of games with East Carolina and Georgia on the opening day of the Red and Black Showcase in Athens, Ga. ISU's 8-0 victory over ECU in the opener was career win No. 850 for head coach Melinda Fischer, but a bid for an 851st win fell just short in a 2-1 loss to the Bulldogs.
The Redbirds opened the season with an impressive 8-0 win over East Carolina in their opening game. The ISU offense pounded out 13 hits, including four triples to establish a new single-game school record. Senior Kara Nelson paced the Illinois State offense, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, a triple and four runs scored.
"Kara led off the 2011 season right where she left off in the fall," Fischer said. "She was 4-for-4 for the game and was a great table setter. Lauren did a great job behind Kara, and Abby got going in her third at bat, which led to confidence for everyone after that. We were able to get a hit from almost everyone in the lineup and played some great defense."
Sophomore Lauren Kellar tallied three hits and drove in a pair of runs, while senior Abby Olson finished 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and 2 RBI. Freshman Laura Canopy was impressive in her collegiate debut, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
As impressive as the ISU offense was, junior pitcher Megan Warner was just as impressive in the circle, striking out a career-high 15 ECU hitters and allowing just one hit in the complete game shutout. Warner walked the first batter that she face before retiring 12-straight Pirate hitters and surrendering the lone hit on a leadoff single in the top of the fifth.
Nelson led off her senior season with a double and would later come around to score on a Pirate error, giving the Redbirds a 1-0 lead after top of the first.
Illinois State added two more in the third as freshman Nichelle Harrison led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a Nelson double and later came around to score on a wild pitch. Kellar notched the first RBI of the season for ISU, scoring Nelson on a single through the middle.
The Redbirds added one in the fifth and one in the sixth, before exploding for three more in the top of the seventh, using back-to-back triples from Nelson and Kellar to start the inning. An RBI double from Olson plated Kellar in the very next at bat, before Olson touched the plate after another ECU miscue, making the final margin, 8-0.
In the nightcap, Illinois State battled No. 3/4 Georgia through all seven innings and came up just short on the Bulldogs' home turf at Jack Turner Stadium after a sixth-inning home run from Brianna Hesson proved to be the difference in the contest.
Georgia took an early 1-0 lead, in what turned out to be a pitcher's dual, after taking advantage of a one-out walk from Kristin Sandberg. Macie Couey ran for Sandberg and came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ashley Pauly.
The Redbirds answered when freshman Sara Bradley led off the top of the third with a solo blast to deep center to knot the score at 1-1. ISU starter Jordan Birch then retired six-straight UGA hitters to keep the game tied through four innings.
The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom half of the fifth, after a walk and an Illinois State error allowed the first two batters of the inning to reach base. Senior Chrissy Burton was then called out of the bullpen to get the Redbirds out of the jam and did just that, recording the final out on a 3-2 changeup with the bases loaded to preserve the tie.
After Hesson's go-ahead blast, ISU nearly capitalized in the seventh, coaxing a pair of walks off UGA starter Morgan Montemayor before Nelson grounded out to end the game.
"I am really proud of them," Fischer said, "I thought we competed extremely well. We had a game plan in mind and got to stick with it longer than what we thought we would. Jordan contained them very well and was a good matchup for us with them. Chrissy did a great job coming in and getting the strikeout with the bases loaded. We played extremely well, we battled and I think we learned a lot from that game."
Illinois State will return to action Saturday with a pair of games against Lipscomb and Maryland at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. CST, respectively.
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