Shocker Softball Hosting Iowa State

[1972Shocker]

Shockers drop both ends of Saturdays Home DH vs Iowa State by scores of 10-2 (5 innings) and 10-5 as the Shocks fall to 6-17.

Shocks were never in Game 1, but Game 2 was closer than the final score indicates. The game was tied 4-4 after 5. But the Cylcones scored 1 in the 6th and 5 in the 7th to put it away.

Tough day for Breezy. She gave up 11 earned runs in 5.2 innings including the final 6 runs of game 2.

There were some bright spots for the Shocks.

Rachel Milnark went 5 for 6 in the DH and the Shocks had 6 doubles and two home runs (Dannika and Haley) in the twin bill.

[Hovpen]

What was with all the illegal pitches in the first inning. Gave up the first 7 runs with only one hit and one error???

[1972Shocker]

I didn't see the game so hard to say. IIRC, they started making this a point of emphasis last year and Creighton star pitcher, Tara Oltman, was having a lot of problems with illegal pitches being called for the first time in her career.

Katie has 5 illegal pitches called in the first inning of Game 1. I don't think this has been an issue for her previously. Odd that you go 20 games into the season without this being a problem and then you get 5 called in one inning.

I guess we either had an ump who interpreted something in Katie's delivery as illegal or Iowa State's coaches saw something and complained to the ump about it.

[Quick Pitch]

Down 5-0 in the 6th. :(

[flyingMoose]

Katie has 5 illegal pitches called in the first inning of Game 1. I don't think this has been an issue for her previously. Odd that you go 20 games into the season without this being a problem and then you get 5 called in one inning.

I guess we either had an ump who interpreted something in Katie's delivery as illegal or Iowa State's coaches saw something and complained to the ump about it.

It was what the ump saw. Most of these were called by Suzie Benzel who has WCWS experience as does Scott Thomas, one of the other umpires. This is now eleven illegal pitches on the season for Katie, so this is not a new issue.

[flyingMoose]

Re: Shocker Softball Hosting Iowa State

... the Shocks had 6 doubles and two home runs (Dannika and Haley) in the twin bill.

Unfortunately, the Miller that homered in Game Two was wearing a Cyclone uniform. Only Hayley homered for the Shocks.

Is Erin Carney hurt? She was having an awesome freshman year as a hitter, but now has disappeared from the lineup.

[1972Shocker]

Re: Shocker Softball Hosting Iowa State

... the Shocks had 6 doubles and two home runs (Dannika and Haley) in the twin bill.

Unfortunately, the Miller that homered in Game Two was wearing a Cyclone uniform. Only Hayley homered for the Shocks.

Is Erin Carney hurt? She was having an awesome freshman year as a hitter, but now has disappeared from the lineup.

My bad. Bad assumption. I need to check the box scores closer especially for those uncommon names like Miller! ;-)

[flyingMoose]

Down 5-0 in the 6th. :(

Though a 7-2 loss, this game was close for a long while. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, we loaded the bases but Jamie got under one a bit for a long fly that got caught in the wind. Katie was relieved by Sloan after giving up a lead-off homer in the sixth, and the last two runs of the Cyclone five runs in the inning scored on a dropped fly ball in left.

[1972Shocker]

'Moose, do you know what it is about Katie's delivery that they are ruling illegal?

[1972Shocker]

Down 5-0 in the 6th. :(

Though a 7-2 loss, this game was close for a long while. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, we loaded the bases but Jamie got under one a bit for a long fly that got caught in the wind. Katie was relieved by Sloan after giving up a lead-off homer in the sixth, and the last two runs of the Cyclone five runs in the inning scored on a dropped fly ball in left.

This team really has little room for error in any facet of the game to be successful, which might actually be putting even more pressure on them, possibly with less than desirable results.

[Quick Pitch]

I didn't see Megan Boston in the lineup either. Is she hurt too?

[flyingMoose]

I didn't see Megan Boston in the lineup either. Is she hurt too?

Meghan is not hitting. Was it .218? Erin on the other hand is hitting .297 or there about.

[flyingMoose]

'Moose, do you know what it is about Katie's delivery that they are ruling illegal?

She is not dragging her toe away from the pitcher's plate. There is a very slight "leap" sometimes and umpires are instructed to call them no matter how minuscule. The second Iowa State pitcher in the first game was sliding her pivot foot off the front of pitcher's plate. I think she was called about three times in less than an inning. (We were hitting her hard and the coach had to re-enter the starter.)

[flyingMoose]

'Moose, do you know what it is about Katie's delivery that they are ruling illegal?

She is not dragging her toe away from the pitcher's plate. There is a very slight "leap" sometimes and umpires are instructed to call them no matter how minuscule. The second Iowa State pitcher in the first game was sliding her pivot foot off the front of pitcher's plate. I think she was called about three times in less than an inning. (We were hitting her hard and the coach had to re-enter the starter.)

A further note: Katie was "credited" with only three "balks" in the box score in Game One. I suspect that means that the automated scorebooks that are used only record an illegal pitch if a runner advances, not when a ball is called but there is no runner to advance. Additionally, there was one illegal pitch called where the ISU batter singled, so no "balk" was recorded in this case, either. So, the number of illegal pitches called on Katie thus far in the season is far more than the eleven seen in the official stats.

[Hovpen]

If you guys get a chance, go watch the Hutch JUCO third baseman. Opinion.