March 7, 2014
Box Score |
Fischer Postgame Interview 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Four runs in the top of the eighth inning were enough to prevent a second Ohio rally, as the Illinois State softball team (7-13) defeated the Bobcats (13-9), Friday evening at Louisville's Ulmer Stadium. ISU saw a 3-0 lead disappear in the sixth inning, before pulling away in extras for a 7-4 victory.
With the game tied 3-3 heading into the eighth inning, the Redbirds took their second lead of the game with four runs against Ohio reliever Savannah Jo Dorsey (LP, 6-6). ISU loaded the bases with nobody out, before a Kara Repp single to left plated Kolby Hoffman and made it 4-3 ISU. Two batters later, Laura Canopy brought home Sara Bradley with a RBI groundout, before Regan Romshek blooped a single into right field that brought home two more and gave the Redbirds a 7-3 advantage. Ohio pushed across one in the bottom half of the eighth and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs, but could not get any closer.
Repp tallied a career-high three hits and a RBI, while Romshek was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Stephanie Gallant went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, as every starter either scored or tallied a RBI.
Romshek (WP, 6-6) went the distance in the circle for ISU, equaling a season-high with 8.0 innings pitched. She allowed four runs, three of which were earned, while striking out three and walking just one.
ISU started the game's scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the third. With one out, Nichelle Harrison singled and Canopy walked before Romshek drove a single off the wall in left that plated Harrison and made it 1-0 Redbirds. Jordan de los Reyes came up with the bases loaded two batters later and brought home Canopy with a ground out to the shortstop to double ISU's lead.
After the Redbirds left the bases loaded in the fourth, Gallant's solo home run in the top of the fifth added on to ISU's advantage. The junior catcher turned on an 0-1 offering from Bobcat starter Lauren McClary (ND) and hit a towering fly ball over the fence in right field for her first home run of the season to make it 3-0 Redbirds.
Ohio started its comeback with a lone tally in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and nobody on base, Alyssa Wolfe tripled to deep right field and scored on a RBI single from Amanda Dalton. In the sixth, Adrienne Gebele's two-run homer to right evened the game at 3-3. Madison Claytor followed the homer with a double and was in scoring position with one out, before Romshek recorded the final two outs of the inning on a diving stop by Brittny Drish at short and popout to second.
Up next for ISU is a game against Ohio State at 1:30 p.m., CST, Saturday. The Redbirds' game against Louisville that was originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m., CST, Saturday, has been moved to 1 p.m., CST, Monday.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
