Shocker SB v Southern Illinois

[1972Shocker]

@1972Shocker, comments on the games?

I missed Game 1 as my wife and I took one of my grandsons to his soccer game. We arrived just in time for the final out of Game 1.

Thought HCKB may have been just a little quick with the hook on Sloan in Game 2 although Jenni did OK. All-in-all though SIU pretty much raked out pitching over the coals in Game 2 included a bombardment of doubles in the 6th inning. The Shocks also had a little bit of bad hitting luck here and there but ultimately it would not have made a difference I don't believe.

Hopefully, the Ladies can bounce back a salvage the final game of the series tomorrow. Perhaps tomorrow instead of playing a game we can just have our catcher (Melanie) challenge their catcher to a foot race with the winner declared the winner of the game. Otherwise, you have to think that SIU will come into tomorrow's game brimming with confidence regardless of who we put in the circle.

[flyingMoose]

A couple of incidents in Game Two illustrate the general torpor of the Shockers.

In the bottom of the second before the game is out of hand, Macklin Hitz pinch-hits and draws a walk to load the bases. HCKB wants to reenter the starter and begins walking toward home plate with her hand in the air, wanting Time. Hitz heads for the dugout, and Ashley pops out of the dugout to go to first base. The SIU immediately says that is an Out (a violation of the Look Back Rule) as Time had not been granted. The umps get together and agree - Macklin is Out.

Macklin has to know to stay on first base until the reentry has been made. The first base coach (Pitching Samantha) has to know to make Macklin stay there. HCKB might have called out for Time rather than walking toward home plate with her hand in the air. The umpire might have glanced in her direction and recognized she wanted Time. None of this happened, and we killed a potential rally all by ourselves without a pitch being thrown.

Late in the game, Cacy picks up a foul ball near the stands and overthrows Sloan in the circle, no small achievement. I think Molly fielded a single to left field, scoring a runner from third. She then threw the ball in to third base rather than to second base. I think that happened, but I cannot find it the play-by-play. Maybe I dreamed it - it was a rather nightmarish day.

[WuDrWu]

Looking forward to the usual brilliant wrap up from @flyingMoose: and or @1972Shocker: on the Shox BIG 5-4 win today, that by my calculations, clinches a top 2 finish for ladies, and a double bye birth to the semi-finals of the Valley tournament.

At 18-6 the Shox have an insurmountable lead over SIU at 14-9. Great job ladies, now go get a championship in Normal!

[1972Shocker]

I thought the Lady Shocks showed the kind of toughness today that Coach Butler has been wanting from his baseball team.

The wind wasn't blowing quite as hard today as yesterday (maybe) but it was blowing plenty hard out to left and did have an impact on the game.

The Shocks started Katie Malone in the circle despite being roughed up pretty bad by SIU in yesterday's Game 2. The home plate ump had a shall we say interesting strike zone giving the pitchers a lot of room on the left side of the place but not much on the right side. I thought the SIU pitcher did a better job taking advantage of that wide zone than did the Shocker pitchers but it was pretty much the same for both teams.

A Cacy Williams walk and a Paige Mason homer to left center put the Shocks up 2-0 after 1.

After a strong 1st inning Katie gave up 4 runs on 6 hits in the 2nd and 3rd including a 2-run bomb to right center that needed no help from the wind to put the Salukis up 4-2.

The Shocks pulled to within one at 4-3 in the bottom of the 3rd on Liz Broyles double and a bloop single to center by Ali Vandever (probably helped by the wind to get out of reach of the infielders).

After Katie gave up back-to-back singles to open the top of the 4th Jenni Brooks came into the game in relief of Katie. Jenni was outstanding pitching 4 scoreless innings of 2-hit ball to give the Shocks a chance.

The Shocks struck in the bottom of the 6th. Ali Vandever dumped a wind blown bloop double into left field. Ashley Johnson singled to center moving Ali to 3rd. Macklin Hitz was brought on to pinch hit from Kelli Spring. I have to say that I was really questioning that move. Kelli is a contact hitter with good speed and Mackin is more of a power hitter who strikes out a lot and who does not have good speed. We really needed to make sure we scored the tying run. Ashely promptly stole second base to put the lead run in scoring position. On a 2-1 pitch Macklin ropes a line drive directly over the SS that rolled to the fence for a 2-run go double giving the Shocks a 5-4 lead showing HCKB knows a hell of lot more than I do. The Shocks did proceed to load the bases but could not score any insurance runs.

Jenni, clearly the player of the game IMO, set down the Salukes 1-2-3 in the 7th and the Shocks had a very, very big win.

BTW. Pretty nice crowds at the games both days. Very entertaining game today.

:encouragement:

[flyingMoose]

Other scores from today:

Illinois State 3-0 Missouri State
Northern Iowa 2-5 Bradley
Drake 2-1 Indiana State
Evansville 0-4 Loyola


Current standings after today's play:

Illinois State 16-5 0.5 GB
Shockers 18-6 -- GB
Southern Illinois 14-9 3.5 GB
Bradley 14-10 4 GB
Northern Iowa 12-11 5.5 GB
Loyola 10-13 7.5 GB
Drake 9-12 7.5 GB
Missouri State 8-15 9.5 GB
Indiana State 7-16 10.5 GB
Evansville 6-17 11.5 GB


Remaining series:

Mon: Drake at Illinois State (DH)

Sat/Sun: Shockers at Illinois State
Indiana State at Southern Illinois
Bradley at Drake
Loyola at Northern Iowa
Missouri State at Evansville

[flyingMoose]

The home plate ump had a shall we say interesting strike zone giving the pitchers a lot of room on the left side of the place but not much on the right side. I thought the SIU pitcher did a better job taking advantage of that wide zone than did the Shocker pitchers but it was pretty much the same for both teams.

You sat up high behind home plate? Could not make it to today's game. :(

[flyingMoose]

I see reading through the play-by-play that Paige finally got an out at first from right field. She threatened to do that a couple of times yesterday. And Orsburn is a left-handed batter too.

[1972Shocker]

Looks like Illinois State finished off a sweep of Missouri State today with a 3-0 win.

The Redbirds have a double-header with Drake tomorrow in Normal before taking in the Shocks in a 3-game series next week end that will most likely determine the retular season champions.

[1972Shocker]

I see reading through the play-by-play that Paige finally got an out at first from right field. She threatened to do that a couple of times yesterday. And Orsburn is a left-handed batter too.

The out at first was the back end of double play. Osburn was on 1st after singling to RF with 1-out. The next batter, Wilson flied out to right. I don't know if it was a hit and run or just a misread by Osburn but she was 2/3rds of the way to 2nd when the catch was made and was easily doubled off Paige's accurate throw to 1st after the catch.

[1972Shocker]

You sat up high behind home plate? Could not make it to today's game. :(

I sat behind home plate, but only a couple of rows up. Wanted to make sure the umpire could hear my expert commentary. :p

[flyingMoose]

The out at first was the back end of double play. Osburn was on 1st after singling to RF with 1-out. The next batter, Wilson flied out to right. I don't know if it was a hit and run or just a misread by Osburn but she was 2/3rds of the way to 2nd when the catch was made and was easily doubled off Paige's accurate throw to 1st after the catch.

I see it now. The combination of semicolons all the time and not commas sometimes, and my not reading it closely enough led me astray. Thanks.

[1972Shocker]

Well the doubleheader loss to SIU on Saturday got a full blown write up in the Wichita Eagle. However, I find nothing in the online edition regarding Sunday's win despite the fact the Eagle started the article on the Saturday's losses as follows:

Wichita State softball coach Kristi Bredbenner probably learned more about her team Saturday than she learned in the previous 48 games.

Bredbenner can learn even more in the immediate future when she takes account of how the Shockers respond to a doubleheader sweep by Southern Illinois at Wilkins Stadium.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2014/04/26/342...#storylink=cpy

Well I can answer that question for Jeffrey Lutz quite nicely. The young Shocker team responded in very fine fashion showing great toughness and competitiveness.

I probably did not give Frosh Macklin Hitz enough praise for her big pinch hit 2-run, game winning double in the bottom of the 6th of yesterday's game. Only her 8th hit of the year in 30 AB's that had to be Macklin's biggest hit of her Shocker career. Another loss to SIU could have been devastating to psyche of this young Shocker team.

Now you have to feel they have at least an even shot at winning the series with Illinois State this coming weekend.

[xazshox]

Illinois State

The Illinois State DH with Drake today is highly pertinent to the standings going into the 3-game series with WSU this coming weekend! The games at Drake are at 3 PM & 5 PM.

[1972Shocker]

The Illinois State DH with Drake today is highly pertinent to the standings going into the 3-game series with WSU this coming weekend! The games at Drake are at 3 PM & 5 PM.

Illinois State one Game 1 11-0 in 5 innings and Game 2 was rained out.

See thread on Illinois State series.