Feb. 26, 2012
Box Score
CLEARWATER, Fla. -
The Illinois State softball team's bats were silent in a pair of losses Sunday afternoon at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The Redbirds managed just six hits on the day and were shutout by No. 17/20 Georgia Tech, 6-0, and South Florida, 1-0.
In the opener, Georgia Tech (8-7) starter Hope Rush turned in a stellar performance inside the circle, holding ISU to just two hits in the complete-game shutout.
Rush and Illinois State (7-8) starter Megan Warner traded scoreless innings, until the Yellow Jackets took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Katie Johnsky drew a walk to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Karly Fullem followed with a single to center, before Caroline Hilton drove in Johnsky with a groundout to the left side. Ashley Thomas grounded out later in the inning to score Fullem for the second run.
Rush helped her own cause in the fifth, leading off the inning with a double to left center, before later scoring on a wild pitch by ISU reliever Taylor Baxter to push the Georgia Tech lead to 3-0.
The Yellow Jackets doubled their lead in the top of the seventh, scoring three more runs on three hits. Rush walked with the bases loaded for the first run of the inning and Alysha Rudnik drove home two more with a double.
Freshman Sophia Perez came out of the bullpen to record the final two outs of the inning and Rush retired the Redbirds in order in the bottom of the frame to end the contest.
Illinois State faced South Florida (10-2) for the second time in as many days in the nightcap and once again, ISU's offense was held in check.
Redbird starter Jordan Birch and USF starter Sam Greiner combined to allow just one hit through the first three and a half innings, before the Bulls manufactured a run in the bottom of the fourth.
Stephanie Medina belted a two-out double to the fence in left center and Kourtney Salvarola followed with a single through the left side that scored Medina for the only run of the ballgame.
Illinois State's best chance came in the top half of the sixth, as the Redbirds had runners at second and third with just one out, but could not push the tying run across. Sara Nevins took over for Greiner in the circle to start the inning and retired the first batter she faced, before junior Jhavon Hamilton singled to shallow center. Fellow junior Elizabeth Kay drove a single to center off reliever Lindsey Richardson and advanced to second on a throw to third, before Nevins reentered the game and notched back-to-back strikeouts to retire the side.
Birch worked around a hit in the seventh to keep the lead at 1-0, but Nevins struck out the side in the seventh to earn her first save of the season.
Birch fell to 4-5 after suffering the loss and allowing just the one run on five hits. Greiner improved to 2-1, tossing five innings and giving up just two hits.
The Redbirds will return to the diamond next weekend, when they travel to Orlando, Fla., for the 2012 Citrus Classic. Illinois State is slated to open the weekend with a game against nationally-ranked Oregon Friday, March 2 at 1:30 p.m. CST.
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