Shocker SB v Missouri State

[flyingMoose]

Given the weather forecast, this is a speculative thread, but the Shockers are scheduled to play the double header part of their home-and-home games with their Valley "travel partner", Missouri State. The third game of the series is scheduled for next Wednesday in Springfield.

Currently, the Shockers are 6-7 in the Valley standings and the Bears are 6-8. They split with UNI with one game being cancelled, took two from Indiana State and Drake, won one game with Illinois State and were swept by Southern Illinois. Missouri State were a preseason pick for sixth, part of a middle clump of three teams.

Ashley Brentz and Kristin Cutter were chosen to the Preseason All-Conference Team for the Bears. However at this point, they are being led offensively by Stevie Pierce (OPS of 1.020 and 6 HRs), Stacia Boeckstiegel (OPS of .921 and, before Hovpen has a chance to tell you, a transfer from Butler CC :) ), and Heather Duckworth (OPS of .869). For the Shocks, Ali's recent surge has brought her OPS near .800. In conference-only games, Erin has an OPS of 1.067 with a BA of .419.

Missouri State is led in the circle by Chelsea Jones who gets about 60% of their starts. Her ERA is 4.35 with a WHIP of 1.62. Thus, it appears that pitching is not the strong point of this team.

In the league standings, only Indiana State at 3-12 appears to be out of the running for the Valley Tournament. Places three through nine range from one game above .500 to two games below.

[Hovpen]

Grin, U're going to see a lot of those Butler transfers as I believe a total of 14 of this year's players are being talked to presently by D-1 schools. But that is down the road. How about we encourage the ladies to go get this W.

[flyingMoose]

This DH has been moved to next Wednesday, 24 April, still here. The single game with Missouri State originally on 24 April has not yet been rescheduled.

[flyingMoose]

The Shockers continue Valley play on Wednesday when they host Missouri State in a double header. The third game of this series has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 30, in Springfield.

The results of this past weekend have clarified the hierarchy a bit. The Shockers stand at 7-9 and the Bears, who won one game in a series with Evansville, are at 7-10, so this series is critical for the conference tournament hopes of both of them. Only Indiana State at 3-16 are below them in the standings. Bradley, also 7-9, has a doubleheader at UNI on Tuesday.

The Bears are led offensively by Stevie Pierce (OPS of 1.016 and 8 HRs), Stacia Boeckstiegel (OPS of .895) and Heather Duckworth (OPS of .850). Chelsea Jones has an ERA of 4.19 and a WHIP of 1.62.

Ali and Erin lead the Shocks' offense with OPS of .768 and .758, respectively. Katie's ERA is now 3.06 with a WHIP of 1.56.

This doubleheader begins a tough stretch of games caused by cancellations. It is followed by a DH with Oklahoma State on Thursday, a home-games-ending conference series with Drake over the weekend, and single games at Missouri State on Tuesday next and Kansas on Wednesday before we close the regular season with a series at Creighton.

[1972Shocker]

Nice award for Melanie Jaegers.

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=207404664&DB_OEM_ID=7500

:encouragement:

[1972Shocker]

@flyingMoose must be out at the ballpark. Looks like we have a wild one in the works out at Wilkins Stadium.

Katie Armagost in the circle for the Shocks.

Melanie Jaegers staked Katie to a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the bottom of the 1st.

The Shocks expanded the lead to 3-0 in the 2nd on a two-out walk to Laura Vickers followed by back-to-back doubles by Abby Furstenberg and Danika Miller.

However, things fell apart for Katie in the top of the 4th as the 1st five hitters walked, doubled, singled, homered and homered to put MSU up 5 - 3.

The Shocks wasted no time answering in the bottom of the 4th. Hayley Temple doubled to lead-off and RBI singles by Laura, Danika and Melanie put the Shocks back up 6-5.

That would not last long. In the top of the 5th Katie gave up a single and hit a batter to put runners at 1st and 2nd at which point Sloan Anderson came on in releif. After a Sac Bunt moved the runners up to 2nd and 3rd a fly ball to right was caught but both runners tagged and scored on the play (maybe a diving catch or something unusual involved there?) putting MSU back up 7-6. Sloan induced another fly ball, this one to left, but unfortunately it cleared the fence to stretch MSU's lead to 8-6.

In the bottom of the 5th Erin Carney reached on an error by the SS and two batters later Brianne Bond homered to right to tie the game at 8-all after 5 innings.

Can either team find a pitcher that can get things under control?

[1972Shocker]

Can either team find a pitcher that can get things under control?

That apparently won't be the Shocks. Sloan gives up a 4-spot in the 6th to put MSU up 12-8.

Hate to say it but this season looks to be on the brink of spinning badly out of control.

Gotta go. Praying for a miracle for the Lady Shocks in Game 1.

[1972Shocker]

Game Final: MSU 12 - Shocks 9

Game 2 is following a very similar path as Game 1.

Sloan started Game 2 and after being staked to a 4-0 lead after 4 she gave up 2 runs in the 5th. Shocks got those 2 back in the bottom of the 5th but Sloan gave up a 3 runsin the 6th. Katie came on in relief of Sloan with 2-outs and gave up an RBI single to score the 4th run of the inning before getting the final out. Tied at 6-all after 6 full.

[flyingMoose]

@flyingMoose must be out at the ballpark.

I was for about half of the first game and then other commitments called. Melanie hit an absolute bomb!! off the speakers on top of the scoreboard. It may have still been rising. Katie pitched well the first three innings, no walks and two hits. Then her Evil Twin came out for the fourth. Two home runs, one to right center which made it to the golf course, were among the carnage in the fourth. Fortunately, I had to leave about then.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks trying to give Game 2 away as well as they play into the 8th tied 6-6.

Katie gave up a lead-off single and then when the next batter attempted to sac bunt Melanie threw wildly (not sure if it was to 1st or 2nd) but the runner from 1st came all the way around to score on the play. MSU leads 7-6 as the Shockers come to bat in the 8th.

Melanie will come to the plate in the 8th with a chance to atone for the throwing error.

[1972Shocker]

Danika Miller singled to lead off the Shocker 8th. Brittany Fortner flied out to LF. Not sure if Brittany attempted to bunt or not. She flied out on a 3-2 count so she may well have attempted to bunt and was not able to get it down.

Melanie followed with a fly ball to left that was caught and Danika was double up at 1st base 7-6-3. I don't know if the had a run-and-it or a hit-and-run play on or exactly how that happened.

Bottom line is the Shocks lose 6-7 in 8 innings to drop both games of the DH.

Pretty much a disaster of a day for the Ladies. Offense did their job. I know Katie and Sloan are trying their best, but we have to to find some pitching.

[flyingMoose]

Pretty much a disaster of a day for the Ladies. Offense did their job. I know Katie and Sloan are trying their best, but we have to to find some pitching.

We are now 7-11 along with Bradley, battling with them for the last spot in the Valley Tournament. Missouri State and Southern Illinois are a game and one-half ahead.

We have the single game against Missouri State and series against Drake this weekend and Creighton the following weekend. Creighton and Drake are #1 and #2 in the current standings.

Bradley has a series against Southern Illinois, a single game with UNI (they have already lost twice to them) and a series against Missouri State. Bradley clearly has the easier remaining schedule. We split with Bradley earlier in the season and lost the third game with them to weather. I am not sure what the tiebreaker is after head-to-head competition. Have to see if I can find it.

Pitching Samantha has to earn her keep. We need to get Katie and Sloan turned around in a hurry.

[flyingMoose]

Offense did their job.

Twenty-three hits on the night: five by Danika, four by Melanie (two HRs), three by Erin, Brittany and Abby.

[Greatshockers]

Perhaps pitching coach Samantha has to earn her keep. However, it is the head coach, Kristy Bredbenner, who needs to be held accountable for the season.

[1972Shocker]

Perhaps pitching coach Samantha has to earn her keep. However, it is the head coach, Kristy Bredbenner, who needs to be held accountable for the season.

Meaning?