Feb. 19, 2011
Box Score
TEMPE, Ariz. -
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Illinois State softball team used a 12-run third inning on its way to a 16-0 victory over Seattle University on day two of the Littlewood Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The Redbirds' contest with Iowa was halted after rain showers in Tempe forced a cancellation after just two full innings.
Freshman pitcher Taylor Baxter got plenty of run support and allowed just two hits, improving to 2-0 on the season, with her second shutout victory in the circle. Baxter did not issue a walk and struck out six in her five innings of work.
Illinois State took an early 1-0 in the bottom of the first, after sophomore Lauren Kellar came around to score on a Seattle error after a Liz Andrews single through the right side.
The Redbirds pushed their advantage to 4-0 with a three-run second inning. Junior Caiti Kopp led off the inning with a solo home run to left center, her first of two for the game. Senior Kara Nelson later delivered a one-out double that scored Jhavon Hamilton and fellow senior Abby Olson capped the inning with an RBI double of her own that plated Nelson.
"I thought our offense really clicked today against Seattle and Caiti had two great at bats for us," head coach Melinda Fischer said. "We got production from every part of our lineup and that was great to see. Defensively, we played very well and I thought Taylor threw a great game for us in the circle."
The ISU offense continued its offensive onslaught in the third, as the Redbirds brought 16 batters to the plate and scored 12 runs in 10 hits. After freshman Laura Canopy led off the frame with a single through the right side, Kopp belted her second homer of the contest to nearly the same spot as the first to put Illinois State up, 6-0. Nelson tallied two more RBI with a single up the middle that scored Hamilton and redshirt freshman Nichelle Harrison to extend the ISU advantage.
In her second at bat of the inning, Canopy single up the middle to score Olson and redshirt freshman Sara Bradley cleared the bases with an three-run double to deep left center, scoring Kopp, Canopy and Andrews. Nelson put a cap to the scoring in the inning with yet another single back up the middle to plate Hamilton and make the final margin, 16-0.
Seven Illinois State hitters recorded multiple hits and three tallied three-or-more RBI. Nelson finished 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI, Kopp rounded out the contest 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored and Hamilton finished a perfect 2-for-2 with a trio of runs scored.
The Redbirds started their second contest of the night against Iowa, but after just two innings, the game was called due to rain. The inclement weather not only ended the day for ISU, but forced as schedule change as well. Instead of the original 10 a.m. CST start time, the Redbirds will now play Idaho State at 9 a.m. CST.
Illinois State defeated the Bengals, 10-1, in five innings Friday evening.
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