Shocker SB v Bradley

[flyingMoose]

Bradley comes to visit on Senior Weekend (Brittney Osborn, Holly Eckert and Hilary Fort, unless Brittney qualifies for a medical redshirt), a series crucial to the Shocks' chances of qualifying for the post-season Valley Tournament. Bradley is ahead of them by a game and a half with Indiana State and Evansville within a game of the Shockers.

In conference, Bradley has a team OPS of .578 with an opponents' mark of .768. The Shocks corresponding numbers are .611 and .889. The team ERA is 3.14 with the Shockers at 4.85. However, in the last nine conference games, beginning with Evansville, the Shocks' ERA is 2.11. In the spring sports video pointed out by @1972Shocker, HCKB notes that recently our pitches are down and our pitch counts are down, helping us achieve our better results in the circle.

Bradley appears to be a team of steady players with few standouts. No one has ever been Player or Pitcher of the Week. Jackie Roth is the only hitter with an OPS above .700 (in her case, .811), while Madeline Lynch-Crumrine and Mackenzie Camp share the innings in roughly the same relationship as Katie and Sloan. (Erin, Rachel and Sydney are all above .700 OPS for the Shocks.)

Here is writeup for these games from the Bradley site.

[1972Shocker]

With Britney having played in 20 games I would think her chances of a medical redshirt are not great but I am often wrong on these issues.

I did not watch the Spring Sports Press Conference video until after the MSU game. I did have to chuckle a litte over HCKB's comments about our pitch counts with Katie going out that eveing and shutting out MSU but having to throw 119 pitches to get it done (MSU's Natalie Rose threw 53 pitches her her 6 innings of work). Nevertheless, a shut-out is a shut-out and it doesn't really matter how you did it, just as long as you did it.

Good luck Ladies. Keep battling they way you have been.

[flyingMoose]

Game One

Bradley 9-2 Shockers

Notes later, probably much later, in the evening.

[flyingMoose]

Game Two

Bradley 2-8 Shockers

Notes later, probably much later, in the evening.

As @1972Shocker: notes in the succeeding post, the score was originally typed incorrectly and is now corrected.

[1972Shocker]

I made both ends of the DH today. Shocks won game 2 by an 8-2 score. Wind blew steadily out of the North at 20-25 all afternoon.

Shocks really swung the bats well in Game 2 led by freshman Sydney Stuever who had a huge game going 3-3 plus a walk including a single, double and home run and 4 RBI. Sydney's home run was a no doubter to right.

Sloan pitched a solid game although she did run into some trouble in the 5th after the Shocks had put up 5 in the 4th to spot her to a 7-run lead. Could be she just lost a little concentration after that but once she got out of the 5th she settled down and finished the game strong.

Game 1 just seemed kind of odd, but Bradley played small ball well and also had a couple of clutch hits. Katie was not real sharp. Had trouble commanding her change up early in the game. Shocks also contributed 3 errors. Just did not play a very clean game. Sydney was also 2-3 in Game 1. This young lady from Andale looks like the real deal.

However, they did get the split with the solid game 2 performance and hopefully that will carryover to tomorrow afternoon.

Good luck in all future endeavors to Shocker seniors Brittney Osburn, Holly Eckert and Hillary Fort who were honored prior to Game 1.

[flyingMoose]

Game 1 just seemed kind of odd, but Bradley played small ball well and also had a couple of clutch hits. Katie was not real sharp. Had trouble commanding her change up early in the game. Shocks also contributed 3 errors. Just did not play a very clean game. Sydney was also 2-3 in Game 1. This young lady from Andale looks like the real deal.

Katie had two HBP with her change in the first inning, one of which scored after we failed to execute a 5(6?)-2-3 DP. The error was given to Brianne on the throw to first, but Erin should have caught the ball, too. This was an example of some not very clean softball played by us during the afternoon. But it is clear that the new pitching coach feels Katie has made enough progress with her change to start using it more.

In the fourth when the Braves scored five times, they executed two squeeze plays. In both cases, if Brianne can hold onto the ball at the plate, we have good chances of getting an out call. Another "not clean" example. The fourth started when a Bradley hitter tried to stretch a single into a double and Holly airmailed the throw to second from right. Otherwise, she is out by ten feet. Another etc.

Katherine came on in relief to get the last out of the fourth, but could only retire one of the five batters she saw in the fifth, and Katie had to reenter. Katherine has to make a lot of progress before she can contribute, can be depended on.

We strung some singles together in the fourth to score our runs, Melanie and Brianne dumping theirs down the left field line for the RBI.

Erin hit a ball in the sixth that I think would have cleared the fence with no or little wind. But today, it was a long out.


Someone told someone who told me that we have softball signees, but they will not be announced. Does that mean we have someone from the Mustangs, but we have to protect them? :) Sorry, I probably should not have turned over that rock.

[flyingMoose]

Shocks really swung the bats well in Game 2 led by freshman Sydney Stuever who had a huge game going 3-3 plus a walk including a single, double and home run and 4 RBI. Sydney's home run was a no doubter to right.

Sloan pitched a solid game although she did run into some trouble in the 5th after the Shocks had put up 5 in the 4th to spot her to a 7-run lead. Could be she just lost a little concentration after that but once she got out of the 5th she settled down and finished the game strong.

More examples of sloppy play: Rachel led off the first with a triple and then was eventually an out in a rundown when she broke for home on a one-hopper straight to the first baseman. In the fourth, Layne was called out on appeal for leaving third too early on a fly ball to center. But we still managed to score two in the inning.

Melanie had a "home run" held in by the wind in the second.

As noted, the fifth was our big inning. We knocked the starter (the #2) out, and then knocked out #3 when Bradley had to go to their #1 to get out of the inning.

Bradley found some holes against Sloan in the fifth, but Layne was not at the bag, so we did not get a force at second on a one-hop line single to Rachel in center and Erin dropped the throw at first on a potential 1-2-3 DP. Bradley contributed to the sloppy play of the inning by being easily thrown out at the plate on what was basically a baserunning error.

But Sloan recovered with a three-up, three-down sixth and seventh, the sixth taking only three pitches.

This was a nice win, a needed win, but we have to play cleaner softball than we did today.

In addition to Sydney's three hits, Rachel also had three hits including the triple.

[WSU2011Parent]

Sunday game time moved to 12:30.

[WSU2011Parent]

Saturday, Indiana State lost twice to Missouri State; Evansville lost twice to Drake. Currently, Shockers sit in 8th and a Sunday win puts them 1/2 game behind Bradley - if my calculations are correct.

Edit: My apologies to Flying Moose for this post as I just now saw this info posted yesterday in a different thread summarizing MVC softball standings.

[Hovpen]

Sorry Moose, no Stangs from the class of 2012. U do have one Zypher coming in from Kansas City though who plays HS ball at St. Thomas Aquinas and you should get a look at her during the state tournament at Two Rivers should they qualify. Two that Pooch got that were let go with the change of coaches I would have liked to have seen here were Tori Beltz from Rose Hill and Ali Rogers from Medicine Lodge. Beltz plays with the Runagades and Rogers the Blue Ice. Both different types of ball players who can hurt you in different ways. Beltz with the long ball and Rogers with her speed. With the pitcher from Iowa coming down, if that is a lock, her and the STA girl are the only two I am aware of. There are needs that can not be fulfilled this year with HS players in Kansas. That is pitching and would suggest that perhaps a couple JUCO players might be the trip. This year's recruiting class will be interesting, and there are several local players who should be considered IMHO in the future. I am expecting a big splash out of this year's HS sophomore class when they come of age, but that is a couple years away. Meanwhile, HCKB needs to fill some slots. The ladies have played some good ball recently, and are getting better even with all the injuries.

If WSU has any kind of an engineering school, I would suggest going after Ben Harlow's daugheter Kelsey at Andale for a first baseman. She is headed to KSU for their program and that alone should be enough to make the Kats put in a softball program and recognize women as athletes for a change. (criminal act for KSU not to have a softball program in my opinion, but then, their AD should know I feel that way. :))

[1972Shocker]

Sloan is in the circle for the Shocks today, probably on the strength of her solid work in Saturday's second game. Bradley, as expected, is going with their #1, sophomore Madeline Crumrine.

Sloan retired the Braves in order in the first on 6 pitches.

The Shocks jumped on top with 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st. Rachel Milnark who is swinging the bat well lead off the inning with a single up the middle and then promptly stole second. Danika Miller bunted her over to 3rd. Sydnye Stuever, who torched Bradley yesterday, was intentionally walked. Sydney then stole second. Hayley Temple grounded out to SS scoring Rachel and moving Sydney to 3rd. Erin Carney then came through with a 2-out single to center to score Sydney.

[1972Shocker]

Bradley threatened in the 2nd. Crumrine reached on an infield single. The next batter was safe on a fielder's choice with Crumrine going to second. Not sure what this was. Perhaps a bunt or slap where the Shocks tried unsuccessfully for the force at 2nd. Bradley then sacfriced the runners to 2nd and 3rd. However, Sloan got a big strike out for out number 2 and then a fly to center for the 3rd out.

[1972Shocker]

In the bottom of the 3rd, Danika Miller and Sydney Suever opened the inning with back-to-back jacks to put the Shocks up 4-0. Maybe Bradley should have walked Sydney again.

Haley lined out to SS, but Erin followed with a double and Melanie Jaegers a single to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. The Shocks apparently tried to squeeze a run home on a bunt by Brianne Bond but Erin was out at home 1B t C. Kaitlyn Carey grounded out to end the inning.

[1972Shocker]

In the top of the 4th Bradley's Crumrine lead off with a homer to make it 4-1. Shane Dennis, doing Shocker baseball, is talking about how heave the air is today and that it well be tough to get one out of Eck. Doesn't seem to be bothering the ladies at Wilkins stadium.

Sloan then loaded the bases on a hit batter, single to right and an infield single around a couple of outs but was able to get the 3rd out on fly to CF.

I am sure Katie is at the ready if Sloan runs into any more trouble.

Shockers 4 - Bradley 1 after 4.

[1972Shocker]

Ugh! The Shocks pitching and defense falls apart in the top of the 6th as Bradley puts up a 7 spot and it could have been worse as they left the bases loaded.

Sloan gave up a home run to lead off the inning. That was Ok. You can live with a solo homer here and there and the Shocks still lead 5-2 at that point.

Sloan came right back to get an infield pop up to 2nd base for out #1.

Then the wheels came off. The next batter walked. Again a Bradley hitter reached on a fielder's choice with the runner on 1st moving to 2nd safely. Another bad choice on a sac bunt attempt? Sloan then hit the next batter to load the bases.

An error by Melanie Jaegers at 3rd scored a run and kept the bases laoded.

A wild pitch by Sloan scored the 3rd run of the inning and moved the runners up to 2nd and 3rd to make the score 5-4.

At that point Katie came on in relief of Sloan. 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd.

Not exactly sure what happend on the next play, but hitter reached on a fielder's choice and there was an error by Shocker catcher Brianne Bond that resulted in 2 runs scoring and the batter moving to 2B to make the score 5-6.

Crumrine followed with an RBI single to make the score 5-7.

2 more singles plated Crumrine with runners at 2nd and 3rd still with only 1 out.

Shocks were able to get the 2nd out before Katie gave up a walk to load the bases.

Katie then was able to get a strike-out to finally end the misery. Bradley 8 - Shockers 5 heading into the bottom of the 6th.

Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, OUCH!