Shocker SB at Drake

[flyingMoose]

In the first, fourth, sixth and seventh innings, Sloan got a strike out to retire the side with a runner in scoring position.

[flyingMoose]

Yuck...SIU ties the game on an error by the 3B (2 base error), a sac bunt and then an intentional walk make it 1st and 3rd one out. A error on the catcher on a double steal makes it 1-1 with the winning run on 3rd and only 1 out. Better walk em loaded LU. Base hit, SIU 2nd of the entire game, and only one of the inning, plates the winner.

The Salukis complete the sweep with a 7-1 win in the second game.

[flyingMoose]

Game Three LiveStats link

[flyingMoose]

Deleted by OP

[WuDrWu]

Back and forth game, Drake hits a 2 run home run to re-grab the lead late.

[flyingMoose]

Game Three

Shockers 8-7 Drake

Sloan gets the start in this game. The Shockers score in the top of the first on a single by Cacy, sac bunt by Melanie and run scoring double by Brittany after Cacy is wild-pitched to third. Drake comes right back in the bottom of the inning with a single and two-run homer which is followed by another single before Sloan gets the last out of the inning.

After a lead-off walk to PaigeM to start the second inning, Drake makes a pitching change, a pattern quite like yesterday. In the bottom of the second, two outs are followed by two singles, and Jenni comes on in relief of Sloan. For Jenni to be the reliever rather than Katie shows the growing confidence the coaching staff has in her, and she gets the final out of the inning. Drake, 2-1 after two complete.

Cacy ties the game with a lead-off homer in the third. Melanie then singles and steals second. But Drake uses an intentional walk to PaigeL to help them get out of the inning with no further damage.

Some sloppy baserunning may have cost the Shocks in the fourth as Ali gets a single off the third baseman and is out trying to get more. Two singles follow but the Shockers cannot score. Drake has a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Drake, 3-2 after four complete.

The Shocks reply with two runs of their own in the fifth to go ahead. Singles by Brittany, Liz and PaigeM plate one run. Layne, a pinch-runner for Liz, then scores from second as the Drake shortstop makes a wild throw attempting to complete a double play. When Jenni gives up a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, Katie relieves her and immediately gives up a two-run homer, the second round-tripper for Brewer in the game. The bats are going to have to win this game. Drake, 5-4 after five complete.

Drake puts their starter back in the circle to begin the sixth, but Cacy provides some bat with her second lead-off homer of the day to tie the game. 5-5 after six complete. Katie has struck out four of five after giving up the homer.

Liz reaches on an error and PaigeM is hit by a pitch to put the first two Shockers on to start the seventh, and they advance on a wild pitch. After Ali is hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs, the Drake relief pitcher from earlier in the game is back in the circle. Ashley delivers a sac fly (see, she can drive the ball when she needs to) to score Liz to put the Shockers back in the lead. After Ali advances to second on a passed ball, Kelly delivers a two-run single. The Shocks take an 8-5 lead to the bottom of the seventh.

Katie allows a two-out single in the seventh, and Brewer follows with her third two-run homer of the day. But Katie gets the last out and the win for a Shocker sweep of the series. The bats prevail.

Cacy has four hits and two solo homers. Katie gets the win, but the Shocker pitching, after a good day yesterday, only served to make this game close.

[flyingMoose]

Missouri State win today, but UNI take two of three.

Bradley win to take two of three from Indiana State.

Southern Illinois complete their series sweep of Loyola.

Illinois State take the first game of their doubleheader with Evansville to clinch a series win.

[WuDrWu]

Current standings:

Wichita State 16-3
Illinois State 11-5
Southern Illinois 12-7
Bradley 12-8
Northern Iowa 11-8
Missouri State 7-11
Loyola 7-12
Drake 6-11
Indiana State 6-13
Evansville 4-14

Pretty much have your top 5 and bottom 5 decided at this point. Waiting on the ISUR formality of their impending sweep of Evansville (ISU started the bottom of the 1st walk, error, wp, walk, walk, single (+error) walk for a 3-0 lead, bases loaded, nobody out).

[flyingMoose]

Current standings:

Wichita State 16-3
Illinois State 11-5
Southern Illinois 12-7
Bradley 12-8
Northern Iowa 11-8
Missouri State 7-11
Loyola 7-12
Drake 6-11
Indiana State 6-13
Evansville 4-14

Pretty much have your top 5 and bottom 5 decided at this point.

The goal for the Shockers at this point is to finish first or second in the standings in order to get a double-bye in the tournament. But with series remaining against Southern Illinois and Illinois State, that goal is definitely not a done deal. We do, however, own any tie-breakers with Bradley and Northern Iowa.

[1972Shocker]

Great to see the Shocks winning games in all fashions during this 7-game win streak. Last week in dominating fashion with good hitting and pitching, 2 pickwins yesterday primarily behind good pitching and the hitters return the favor and pick up the pithing today.

The Shocks pretty much have their destiny in their own hands at this point with a doubleheader Tuesday at Missouri State, then a 3-game home series against 3rd place Southern Illinois next weekend with what may be the deciding series the next weekend in Normal vs the 2nd place Redbirds.

It's been a long time since the Shocks have been in the thick of thing this late in the year.

Keep on keepin' on Shocks!

[1972Shocker]

The goal for the Shockers at this point is to finish first or second in the standings in order to get a double-bye in the tournament. But with series remaining against Southern Illinois and Illinois State, that goal is definitely not a done deal. We do, however, own any tie-breakers with Bradley and Northern Iowa.

With all due respect the goal at this point is to finish first. Period.

[ShockTalk]

Current standings:

Wichita State 16-3
Illinois State 11-5
Southern Illinois 12-7
Bradley 12-8
Northern Iowa 11-8
Missouri State 7-11
Loyola 7-12
Drake 6-11
Indiana State 6-13
Evansville 4-14

Pretty much have your top 5 and bottom 5 decided at this point. Waiting on the ISUR formality of their impending sweep of Evansville (ISU started the bottom of the 1st walk, error, wp, walk, walk, single (+error) walk for a 3-0 lead, bases loaded, nobody out).

And who was the pre-season pick for 8th place?

[flyingMoose]

With all due respect the goal at this point is to finish first. Period.

I completely understand the perspective, but first place won't even get you Conference Champion signage on the outfield wall - it gets you the #1 seed in the Conference Tournament (whose winner is the Conference Champion) and nothing more. With the Valley being a one-bid conference (RPIs at the beginning of the week: ISUR-59, UNI-76, Shocks-80, etc), winning the tournament gets you not only Valley Champion signage but also NCAA Tournament signage. With the two top seeds having a shorter road to the Conference Championship by virtue of getting the double-bye, needing to win only two games to get the NCAA bid, finishing first in regular season is just the cherry on top for me. I don't even care if we win the Conference Championship as the #4 seed, just as long as we win.

But I readily admit that finishing first during the regular season would be extra special for the Shockers since we have no softball heritage in the Valley to speak of. Patty Bautista pitched us to a Tournament Championship over two decades ago (you can find her in the mural at the Chuck), and we were significant for a couple of years about twenty years ago and for a few years in the Walton era. We have not played the second day of the tournament since 2007 when Pooch still had some of Walton's girls. So yes, finishing first would be BIG!!

And you are a reasonable mind and (on my good days) I am a reasonable mind and reasonable minds can disagree. :)

[1972Shocker]

I'm with crazy ol' Herm on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W42iiCcFbxE

BTW, the double-bye would be great. But I still want a regular season championship. Despite all the weight given to the post-season tournaments I still personally believe the regular season championship is a truer barometer of the leagues best team for the year. Still a very worthy goal and achievement IMHO regardless of where or if the hang any signage.

Isn't it great to be having this discussion on a Shocker Softball thread.

[flyingMoose]

But I still want a regular season championship. Despite all the weight given to the post-season tournaments I still personally believe the regular season championship is a truer barometer of the leagues best team for the year.

I agree - I dislike post-season tournaments for one-bid conferences a lot!!! In the last ten years, only once has the #1 seed won the MVC Tournament and that hardly seem fair. I think there have been a small handful of occasions when more than one Valley team got a bid to the NCAA tournament in the last ten years, but not many.

Isn't it great to be having this discussion on a Shocker Softball thread.

And seeing the current Valley standings in the paper.