Shockers @ Illinois State - Winner Takes All

[1972Shocker]

Just to reiterate how young this Shocker team is our starting 9 consists of 1 Senior, 1 Junior, 4 Sophomores and 3 Freshman. Our No. 1 pinch hitter off the bench is a Freshman. Our pitching rotation is 2 Freshman and 1 Senior.

The 1 Senior on the starting 9, Ali Vandever, is our weakest link in the batting order although she is a very good fielding 3rd baseman. And it's possible the Shockers will get Erin Carney back for her final year next year. Erin missed this year with a knee injury and was the Shockers lone representative on last year's All-Conference teams as a utility player.

HCKB needs to find her another quality pitcher to replace Senior Sloan Anderson.

[1972Shocker]

Sloan, as she is prone to do, gives up a solo homer to the Redbirds 9-hole hitter in the 3rd to cut the Shocks lead to 3-1.

Sloan followed that up by walking the next batter and then committing an error (throwing?) to put runners on the corners with 1 out.

A ground out to 1B scores the runner from 3rd before Sloan gets the final out of the inning on a strikeout.

After 3 its the Shockers 3 - Redbirds 2.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks waste a leadoff triple by Ashley Johnson in the 4th. Kelli Spring grounded out to 2B for the 1st out. Cacy Williams walked and stole 2B to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out but Paige Luellen struck out looking and Brittany Fortner grounded out to 2B to end the inning.

Then Sloan gives up a solo homer to lead off the Redbird's 4th to tie the game at 3-3.

[1972Shocker]

Jenni Brooks replaces Sloan in the circle in the bottom of the 5th. Not a bad effort by Sloan. Hurt a little by her propensity give up the long ball.

Jenni makes quick work of 3 Redbird hitters in the 5th.

Still tied at 3-all.

[1972Shocker]

Ashley singles to lead off the 6th. Illinois State makes a pitching change to Taylor Baxter.

Kelli will probably be sacrificing. If successful don't be surprised if the Redbirds walk Cacy Williams.

I don't know if Kelli was tying to sacrifice or bunt for a base hit but she "singled to the pitcher" with Ashley going all the way to 3rd.

Illinois State does walk Cacy Williams to load the bases (Cacy W. getting the Casey G. treatment).

Bases loaded, no outs. Shocks need to cash in.

Paige Luellen makes up for her strike out in the 4th with a 2-run double. Brittany Fortner now up with runners at 2nd and 3rd. Will the Redbirds walk her? Yes they do. Bases loaded backup - still no outs.

Sophomore Paige Mason delivers another 2-run double. Is this a broken record. Shocks lead 7-3.

You gotta love it when a team pitches around your big guns and their teammates come through with big hits.

Liz Broyles drives in the 5th run of the inning with a ground out.

Freshman Macklin Hitz, pinch hitting for Ali Vandever, delivers a 6th run with an 2-out RBI single.

Shocks lead 9-3 as they have now put up a 5-run or better inning in each of the 3 games of the series including twice in yesterday's Game 2.

Ashley gets her 2nd hit of the inning to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. Kellin hits into a force play to end the inning.

Jenni says thank you very much.

[1972Shocker]

Illinois State doesn't want anything to do with Cacy Williams as she walks to lead off the Shocker 7th. Paige Leullen flys out to RF. Will the Redbirds pitch to Brittany?

They did and Brittany singled to right center. Pick your poison I guess. The Redbirds are probably delighted with that outcome.

Paige Mason grounded to SS forcing Brittany at 2B but Liz Broyles reaches on an infield single and the walk to Cacy comes back to bite the Redbirds as she scores.

Shockers 10 - Redbirds 3 heading into the bottom of the 7th.

The Shocks have now scored in all three 6th innings and all three 7th innings of the series and they have scored an eye-popping 20 runs in those 6 at bats.

[1972Shocker]

Illinois State's Kolby Hoffman gets her 2nd homer of the game out the 9-hole with a 2-out solo shot off of Jenni Brooks in the 7th. Should be of little significance however.

[1972Shocker]

I see no reason to rest on todays play. One more ladies for the road tomorrow.

And the Lady Shocks oblige completing the sweep of the formerly 1st place Redbirds with a 10-4 win as the Shocks put an exclamation point on a very good and, at least for me, somewhat unexpected season.

I thought I was being fairly optimistic in the preseason when I said I would like to see the Shocks reach 0.500 overall and in the conference. Shows you what I know.

[1972Shocker]

Not that it makes any real difference but I was looking at the scores from the 5 Valley doubleheaders yesterday. The Shocks were the only team to win both ends of the DH. The other 4 DH's were all split with the Shocks picking up 1-game on everyone in the league and more importantly 2 on Illinois State.

Now on to the win or go home Valley Tournament. I like that the Valley rewards regular season performance with their Tournament structure but I don't really care much for a single elimination tournament for softball.

[flyingMoose]

I would link the Wichita Eagle game report but it's not really worth the effort.

But Sully's Sunday article has some softball stuff buried in it. As noted earlier, HCKB casts her vote for Newcomer of the Year and POY for Cacy. I wonder if being NOY and a sophomore (ah, she will have another chance) will hurt her chances for POY.

Then there is another interesting comment - Wichita State is the big-money school in the Valley that everyone loves to dislike - that HCKB fears may come into play when the POY votes are cast. But then she compliments the other Valley coaches on their astuteness. :)

I recall a visiting fan making the comment to me that they thought the Shockers were arrogant, taking their cue from HCKB. I didn't see that, but I kept my mouth shut. But is this a perception regarding WSU that played into Alex's snub in WBB?

[1972Shocker]

Then there is another interesting comment - Wichita State is the big-money school in the Valley that everyone loves to dislike - that HCKB fears may come into play when the POY votes are cast. But then she compliments the other Valley coaches on their astuteness. :)

I recall a visiting fan making the comment to me that they thought the Shockers were arrogant, taking their cue from HCKB. I didn't see that, but I kept my mouth shut. But is this a perception regarding WSU that played into Alex's snub in WBB?

Perhaps. I actually thought it was kind of an odd comment by HCKB to make, and perhaps one of those thoughts that is best left unexpressed publicly if you want to win friends and influence enemies. I really have no idea what played into Alex's snub. I'm not sure I buy the theory they are jealous. It could be as simple as some voters just looked at the scoring stats, saw that Kyndal Clark lead the Valley in scoring in conference games and said that's good enough for me. In any case, if we are the big pot, I suppose its our obligation to hold the little pots as long as we are part of the league.

As far as being arrogant it is pretty common for the best teams in any particular sport to have kind of a swagger about them. There is probably a fine line between arrogance and confidence. I certainly haven't noticed anything about our softball program that seemed arrogant though. Hell we really don't have any standing based on past performance to be arrogant about.

I will say that I was impressed with all the tweets from other Valley programs yesterday congratulating the Shockers on their first Valley softball championship yesterday.

[1972Shocker]

BTW, Cacy Williams' home run today was her 16th of the season setting a new Shocker single season record.

Hell of a 1st year as a Shocker young lady, especially one transferring in from a D-1 school. Probably the best transfer performance by a Shocker female athlete since Emily Stockman.

[ShockTalk]

The Valley will be the Valley. Who knows how the voting will go. IMO, there's little doubt that Alex's stub proved to be embarrassing to the MVC whether the voters will admit it or not.

On the other hand, in men's basketball they surprised me a little, because I was unsure we'd get 3 players on the first team, not because it wasn't deserved, but because I had no faith the voters would do the right thing.

[flyingMoose]

Pantagraph Sunday game article

[flyingMoose]

The Valley will be the Valley. Who knows how the voting will go.

I think @1972Shocker: pointed out way back when that coaches and media people vote in WBB. The Postseason voting for SB is done strictly by the coaches.