Feb. 13, 2012
ST. LOUIS -
Illinois State senior pitcher Jordan Birch was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, after her performances inside the circle this weekend at the USF Tournament in Tampa, Fla., as announced by the league office Monday afternoon.
Birch finished the weekend with a 3-0 record, tossing 11.0 scoreless innings and notching 20 strikeouts. The Monroe, Wash., native allowed just three hits and posted a pair of complete-game shutouts in her first two starts of the 2012 campaign.
On Friday, Birch picked up the win in the Redbirds' 5-4, eight-inning win over Maine, by tossing a scoreless eighth inning and followed it up with a one-hit shutout of Long Island in a 9-0, five-inning victory. She then capped the weekend with a two-hit shutout of Florida Gulf Coast, striking out 10 Eagles.
ISU will return to the diamond this weekend, when it travels to Tempe, Ariz., for the Littlewood Classic. The Redbirds open the tournament Friday with contests against Iowa State and Iowa that are scheduled for 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
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