Shocker SB at Indiana State

[flyingMoose]

The Shockers (11-32, 4-13) visit Terre Haute (or Terra Haute if the Shocker schedule is to be believed - sigh) for Senior Weekend for Indiana State (16-25, 3-13). Since we are only one-half game ahead of the Sycamores, this weekend is critical for the hopes of both teams to qualify for the Valley post-season tournament.

Their non-conference schedule was pretty soft but does include a split with St. Louis. ISU-Blue is led in the circle by senior Lindsey Beisser who twice has been name Valley Pitcher of the Week. This borrowed computer does not allow me to access the Sycamore stats, so someone please fill in.

Here are the LiveState links for Game One, Game Two and Game Three and the writeup from the Indiana State site.

[flyingMoose]

A different borrowed computer gets me into the Sycamore stats. Their conference-only stats are an OPS (not that other term I have used) of .535 with a team ERA of 3.19 and opponents' OPS at .693. The Shockers equivalent numbers are an OPS of .621 with opponents' OPS of .896 and a team ERA of 5.16.

The Shocks will need to continue to get strong performances in the circle this weekend. A sweep would be wonderful, but we need to take two of three to stay ahead in the battle for eighth place in the Valley. Evansville visits Creighton this weekend.

[URKidng]

Game has started, and the pitcher for Indiana St. must be pretty good! Struck out all three of our girls, two looking. I was worried going into the game today, because in the last 5 games, Sydney has had only one hit, as well as Erin. ( I think this is correct, from what I remember) When our better batters can be up to the plate four times in a game, times 5 games (20 at bats) and only get one hit, it is a concern. And they are our better hitters! I think our weakest area, besides pitching, (although they have done pretty well lately) is inconsistancy at hitting. Syd did advance a runner with a bunt, and Kaitlyn advanced Holly to third with a bunt that allowed us to win against Evansville after another hit. Erin had the only hit in one of the games, with a homerun. Then, against Missouri State they get in one game, what, 7 hits? Crazy! I know different pitchers, however, when a player has been up to bat 140+ times this season, they should have seen about everything by now.

[1972Shocker]

ISU Beisser is a solid pitcher I believe. She has been Valley Pitcher of the Week twice this year so she is capable.

Scoreless after 4. Shocks with only 1 hit, a leadoff double by Sydney Stuever in the 4th. Indiana State has 2 hits.

Katie pitching for the Shocks. She did walk the lead off batter in the 4th who would eventually be thrown out at the plate fof the final out of the inning.

[1972Shocker]

Both teams down quickly in order in the 5th.

[1972Shocker]

Katie gave up an infield single to INS in the 6th. The runner advnaced to 3rd with 2 outs but Katie as able to get the INS cleanup hitter to ground back to her on a 3-2 count to end the inning. Still scoreless after 6, but the Shocks are doing nothing against Beisser.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks strike in the 7th. Rachel Milnark with a 1-out double to left, followed by a single to right by Hayley Temple. Hayley then promptly steals second.

Freshman Melanie Jaegers than delivers a 2-run single to put the Shocks up 2-0.

Erin Carney struck out but Brianne Bond eeked out an infield single on an 0-2 pitch and INS 2B compounded the problem with a throwing error allowing Melanie to score from 2nd. Shocks up 3-0.

Brianne moved to 3rd on a wild pitch. Holly Eckert was then hit by a pitch. Danika Miller singled to right scoring Brianne. Sydney flies out to end the inning, but the Shocks take a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 7th. Shocks with 5 hits in the inning after getting only 1 hit in the first 6 innings.

[1972Shocker]

Katie loads the bases with two walks sandwiched around a single after getting the leadoff hitter out in the 7th.

Katie gets the 2nd out on a line drive to 3rd, INS scoreas an unearned run on an error by Hayley at SS, but a bouncer back to Katie ends the game with the bases loaded.

Shocks win 4-1. Got a little bit more exciting in the 7th then in maybe needed to be, but alls well that ends well.

Another solid ouitng from the pitching staff (kudos to Katie) with just enough hitting at the right time.

[1972Shocker]

Game 2 goes to the Sycamores 8-2. Lindsey Beisser going the distance pitches all 14 innings for Indiana State today.

Sloan Anderson and Katherine Johnsons combined to allow 6 runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Katie pitched the final 3 for the Shocks.

Creighton did sweep Evansville today 4-3 and 2-1.

Tomorrow's series finale between the Shocks and Trees is significant as far the final spot in the MVC Tournamnet is concerned.

No doubt Beisser will be in the circle again for the Sycamores. I assume Kaite will go for the Shocks.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks trailing 5-1 after 5 in Terre Haute.

Katie went the 1st 3 innings giving up 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd on a walk, triple and single to the 1st 3 batters she faced in the inning. Settled down after that but Sloan did come on in relief to start the 4th inning.

The Shocks only run came in the Top of the 5th on an RBI double by Erin Carney after Melaine Jaegers reach on an error and advanced to 3rd on a sac bunt and a wild pitch.

Sloan allowed 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th on a double, triple and single from the same part of the lineup that got to Katie. Following another single Katie came back in to pitch with 1 out. Katie got a strike out then walked Beisser to load the bases, followed by another walk to force in a run before getting the final out of the inning on a line drive to 3rd.

That may be and more than likely is more than the Shocks will be able to overcome with 2 at-bats remaining.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks show some fight late. The pick up a run in the 5th and then add 4 in the 7th all with 2-outs. Unfortunately, Katie had given up a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 6th and the Shocker rally fell just short as the fall 7-6.

A Danika Miller single, a Sydney Steuver double and a Hayley Temple ground out produced the run in the 6th.

In the 7th Erin Carney singled to lead off but Beisser got the next two Shocker batters with Erin moving to 2nd. The Shocks loaded the bases following an infield single by Rachel Milnark and a walk to Danika. Sydney followed with a 2-run double and Hayley followed that with another 2-run double. Melanie Jaegers worked the count to 3-2 but then popped up to SS to end the game.

The Shocks ended their streak of 6 well-pitched games as they gave up 15 runs in their last 2 games.

Creighton leading Evansville 7-0 into the bottom half of the 5th in Omaha.

[flyingMoose]

In series critical to qualification for the post-season tournament, Creigton indeed swept Evansville, Illinois State completed a sweep of Bradley, but Natalie Rose pitched a one-hit extra-inning shutout against Northern Iowa to give Missouri State one win on the weekend.

Evansville is now tenth with the Shockers one game ahead in ninth and one-half game behind Indiana State in eighth. The Sycamores trail Bradley by two games and Missouri State by three.

This week's schedule has the mid-week completion of the travel-partner series with a single game on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Indiana State plays Illinois State and Evansville hosts Southern Illinois on Tuesday while the Shocks host Missouri State and Bradley travels to Northern Iowa the following day.

Next weekend's series include Drake at Evansville, Indiana State at Missouri State and Bradley coming to visit the Shocks.