March 30, 2014
Box Score |
Fischer Postgame Interview 
NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State softball team (12-19, 4-2 MVC) scored the final three runs of a back-and-forth contest against Indiana State (17-14, 2-6 MVC) to claim an 8-7 victory, Saturday afternoon at Marian Kneer Stadium. With the win, the Redbirds took their second-straight series to begin Missouri Valley Conference play.
Laura Canopy and Sara Bradley each tallied two hits, a home run and two RBI, while Kolby Hoffman also went deep for the Redbirds. All but one starter recorded a base knock for the Illinois State, including Kara Repp, who reached base for the 16th straight game.
Taylor Baxter pitched the majority of the contest for Illinois State, with Regan Romshek tossing an inning in relief. Baxter allowed five earned runs in 6.0 innings to earn the win, her third in as many decisions, and did not allow the Sycamores to score over their final two at bats.
Down 7-5 entering the fifth inning, the Redbirds scored the final three runs of the game to ensure the comeback victory. The rally started with one run in the fifth, when pinch runner Kaitlyn Knary scored on Stephanie Gallant's RBI groundout. The Redbirds followed that up with two more in the sixth to regain the lead. With Repp on second base, and one out, Canopy singled to score Repp. Canopy moved to second on the throw home, before getting caught in a run down between second and third. An Indiana State throw went into the third base dugout, bringing home Canopy to give Illinois State the lead for good. Baxter (WP, 4-10) set down the Sycamores 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to close out the game and series victory.
The Redbirds jumped out to an early lead when their first batter of the game, Canopy, hit her third home run of the season to put them up 1-0. Indiana State bounced back with the game's next four runs, as Shelby Wilson hit a home run to left field in the second before the Sycamores tacked on two more in the third to build a 4-1 lead.
Illinois State regained the advantage with four runs in the bottom of the third. Hoffman led off the frame with her third home run of the season to bring the Redbirds within two. Illinois State scored again when Nichelle Harrison stole third and came home on an errant through, before Bradley crushed her fourth homer of the season to give the Redbirds a 5-4 lead.
The Indiana State offense continued to produce, and scored the game's next three runs to go up 7-5. With the bases loaded in the fourth, the Sycamores scored twice to regain the lead when Baxter's pitch in the dirt got away from catcher Jordan de los Reyes, and Bradley's throw home was wide of the plate. The Sycamores tacked on another in the fifth against Romshek (ND) on Wilson's RBI single.
Despite surrendering the lead, Baxter and Romshek were able to strand a total of five base runners in the fourth and fifth, keeping the Redbirds within striking distance and setting the stage for the late rally.
Illinois State will complete its four-game homestand, Wednesday against Illinois at 5 p.m., CST.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
