Shocker SB at Indiana State

[flyingMoose]

Because of expected poor weather conditions on Sunday, the conference series with Indiana State has been moved to Friday-Saturday. A single game will be played Friday at 2pm with the regularly scheduled double header starting at 11am Saturday, all times CT. There is free live video here (I think, here).

The Sycamores are a preseason pick for last in the Valley. They began conference play by going 1-1 in a series with Evansville with one game lost to weather. Their record is 16-9 and includes two losses to Iowa State and a loss to Creighton. Their out-of-conference schedule does not appear to be particularly difficult.

Yvette Alvarez has half of their starts and has an ERA of 2.86 with a WHIP of 1.41. Taylor Lockwood, who has twice been named Pitcher of the Week, is the other primary pitcher with about one-third of their starts. Her numbers are 3.03 and 1.46.

The offense is led by Morgan Allee with a BA of .378 and OPS of .998, Kelsey Montgomery, .451 and .996, and Kassie Brown, .422 and .902.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks need to take 2 of 3 at a minimum.

[Hovpen]

They lost to Iowa State 72. No pressure on them, but 3-0 would be good.

[1972Shocker]

They lost to Iowa State 72. No pressure on them, but 3-0 would be good.

Yes, it would.

[flyingMoose]

The live video link.

[1972Shocker]

Game 1:

Shockers.......3R, 9H, 0E, 5LOB
Sycamores....2R, 8H, 0E, 8LOB

Game winning hit was a solo homer by Cacy William leading off the 5th.

Key point in the game. Katie came into the game in relief of Sloan in the bottom of the 5th. In hthe 6th 2 Sycamore singles and a fielder's choice promptly loaded the bases with no outs. Two groundballs, one to 1B and one to 2b, produced force outs at home. Katie then got the final out on a strike out to end the inning without giving up any runs.

Katie also had to work around a lead off double in the 7th and did so successfully.

Sloan was he WP with Katie picking up a very scary save.

[flyingMoose]

Game 1

Shockers 3-2 Indiana State

Sloan got the start for the Shocks with Alvarez in the circle for the Sycamores.

Cacy and PaigeL singled in the first, but the Shocks could not score. The Sycamores threatened in the bottom half with a two-out walk and single, but Sloan got a pop out to end the inning.

The Shockers put up a two-spot in the second when Melanie got an infield single, stole second and was driven home by Ali's single. Ali advanced to second on the throw home and to third on Kelli's single. Kelli then stole second, and Cacy poked a single through the left side to score Ali and advance Kelli to third. After Cacy stole second, the Sycamores made a pitching change. But Kelli was picked off third (a missed squeeze bunt? I was away from the live streaming) before a line out to end the inning.

Brittany's two-out double in the third went for naught. The Sycamores opened the third with a single and a bunt single with both runners advancing on a wild pitch. A one-out walk loaded the bases. Ashley dropped a fly in short center but got the force out at second as a run scored. Then Melanie ended the inning with yet another pick-off at third, assisted by a nice pick by Ali of the throw.

Indiana State led off the fourth with Sloan's nemesis, a home run, to tie the game at two.

Cacy got the lead back in the fifth with a lead-off homer of her own. Katie came on to start the bottom of the fifth.

In the Shocker sixth, a four-pitch walk to Brittany and two balls to PaigeM, pinch-hitting for Brianne, brought on another pitching change for the Sycamores, this time Lockwood. But the Shocks could not dent the plate.

Indiana State led off their sixth with two singles, the second a bloop to Ashley in center that could have been a force at second with a good throw. They then loaded the bases with a fielder's choice on a sac bunt. But the Shockers escaped the jam on two force outs at the plate, the second on a nice stop by Liz playing second, and a strike out.

The Sycamore had a lead-off double in the seventh. But three ground outs, the last using a nice pickup by Cacy of a low throw closed out the Shocker win.

Sloan got the win and Katie got a save. Cacy had three hits, including the game-winning home run, and two RBI, while Paige is credited with two hits. (One resulted in a force out at second when the runner held up, and I don't believe should have been scored as a hit.)

The Shockers did not play very clean at all in this game - poor sac bunt attempts, sloppy base running, some questionable defensive decisions - but the win gets the series off to a good start.

Some Shocker fans are present as evidenced by their cheers picked up by the field mics of the video.

Oh well, I was slow - too much info when you watch it live. :)

[1972Shocker]

But the Shockers escaped the jam on two force outs at the plate, the second on a nice stop by Liz playing second, and a strike out.

Agreed, a very nice play by Liz on a sharply hit ball to her left.

[1972Shocker]

Say @flyingMoose: have you every seen more long conferences in the circle than Indiana State had today?

[flyingMoose]

Say @flyingMoose have you every seen more long conferences in the circle than Indiana State had today?

I was thinking that same thing during the course of the game. I assumed they must be going for the conference record for most charged conferences in a game.

[1972Shocker]

I was thinking that same thing during the course of the game. I assumed they must be going for the conference record for most charged conferences in a game.

And it wasn't just the number of conferences as they took their sweet time with them as well.

[flyingMoose]

And it wasn't just the number of conferences as they took their sweet time with them as well.

Yep, the umpire should have been moving them along.

[Hovpen]

At least we got to see those :) Interesting on every foul ball the first baseman rushes into the mound to catch the throw and hand it to the pitcher.

[1972Shocker]

Game 2:

Shocks....... 5R, 10H, 0E, 8LOB
Sycamores....1R, 7H, 2E, 9LOB

Jenni Brooks scattered 5 hits over 6.2 innings then gave up 2 singles, a walk and a hit batter to lose the shut-out and bring the tying run to the plate before getting the last out in a complete game victory.

Shocks scored all 5 runs in the 5th with the big blow a grand slam home run by 5-2 Fr. Kelli Spring.

Shocks can now go for the sweep in Game 2 with Sloan and Katie well rested.

[flyingMoose]

Game 2

Shockers 5-1 Indiana State

Jenni had the start for the Shocks and Lockwood for the Sycamores.

The Shockers threatened in the first with a walk to Cacy, a bloop bunt single over the third baseman's head by Kelli and a sac bunt. But the next two Shocks were outs. Indiana State had a threat of their own in the bottom of the inning. They led off with a walk and sac bunt. Then with two outs, they had a single to right, but PaigeL threw the runner out at home. The strike zone today appears to be much smaller than yesterday. This will not be to Jenni's benefit who cannot afford to put too many pitches on the plate. Also, folks are bundled up today with temps in the low 40s.

The Sycamores led off the second with a four-pitch walk and a hit batter. An attempted sac bunt resulted in a force at third. Then Melanie threw out the front end of an attempted double steal for the second out, and a ground out ended the threat.

In the Shocker third, Cacy grounded a single up the middle with one out. Then Kelli drove a pitch to right center, but the center fielder ran it down and doubled Cacy off first to end the inning. The Sycamores opened their third with an infield single but the runner was caught stealing. Thus the ensuing double did not score a run.

In the fourth, Liz was hit by a pitch to lead off. PaigeL then beat out a well-placed sac bunt attempt for a single, and the two runners were advanced with a sac bunt. But a ground out and fly out ended the scoring opportunity. No score after four complete.

In the fifth inning, Ali beat out a roller to deep short. Then Ashley bounced a single to right and both runners advanced when the right fielder booted the ball. A semi-intentional walk to Cacy loaded the bases with no outs. Kelli made them pay by unloading a grand slam to right, prompting a pitching change by the Sycamores, their second pitcher from yesterday. She was greeted by a single by Liz. After two ground outs which advanced Liz to third, a drive near the fence by PaigeM was dropped by the left fielder to score the fifth run of the inning.

In the sixth for the Shockers, Ashley singled to right with one out and stole second before Cacy walked. Kelli then beat out a bunt for a single to load the bases. But a force out at the plate and a soft liner to first ended the threat. After a rocky start, Jenni has allowed only two singles and a walk over the last three innings.

With two outs in the seventh, back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Sycamores. A hit batter (she seems to lose her screwball inside) then lost the shutout. A bit surprisingly, Jenni remained in the game and got the next hitter on a jam-shot soft liner that Liz at second base stretched high for. The Shockers come away with their second win of the series.

Jenni delivered a complete game, giving up seven hits, four walks and two hit batters. Kelli has three hits including her grand slam and Ashley had two singles among the Shocks' ten hits. And I thought the zone got a little wider as the game progressed.