Shocker SB v Drake

[flyingMoose]

The Shockers host Drake for this weekend's Valley series. RPIs for softball are now being published. The Shocks RPI is 137 for fifth in the conference while Drake is third at 105. Illinois State has the best RPI at 56, the only RPI in double digits in the Valley, as they historically play the most rigorous non-conference schedule.

Drake is currently 5-1 in conference after being a preseason pick for sixth. The Bulldogs took two from Missouri State and swept Evansville and have wins over Loyola and Northern Iowa in non-conference play. Their overall record is 14-11 and includes two losses to Colorado State, a common opponent.

Rebekah Schmidt and Nicole Newman are the mainstays of the pitching staff for Drake. Schmidt has an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.32. Newman's number are 2.55 and 1.35. Both have been Pitcher of the Week in the Valley and Newman, a freshman from Wisconsin, has also been Newcomer of the Week.

The leading hitters for the Bulldogs are Schmidt (OPS of 1.137), Hayley Nybo (.987 and five HR) and Rebekah Sowa (.942 and a Player of the Week).

Numbers for the Shockers are Brittany (1.155 and five HR), Liz (.972) and Mackenzie (.923 after a slow start to her freshman season). Katie has an era of 4.06 and a WHIP of 1.55.

On paper, this will be a difficult matchup for the Shocks and may be at a crucial juncture of conference play given our bad start.

[1972Shocker]

Game 1: Drake 6 - Shocks 5

The Shocks rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the 5th on 2-run homers by Cacy Williams and Brittany Fortner.

Unfortunately, the Lady Shocks pitching simply can't shut down teams in key moment and the Shocks lose their 4 consecutive 1-run game in Valley play to fall to 1-6 in the conference.

Game 2: Drake 4 - Shocks 1

Shocks only manage to plate 1 run on 3 hits. Drake breaks out of a 1-1 tie after 4 to secure the DH sweep.

[luvthoseshox]

Wow. Just wow. What the heck is going on?

[1972Shocker]

Game 3: Shocks 4 - Drake 3

A 1-run game finally goes the Shocks way as they avoid being swept by Drake.

Liz Broyles was the hitting star of the day going 5-5 and driving in all 4 Shocker runs.

In the bottom of the 8th Ashley Johnson reached base on an error and with 2 outs had advanced to 3rd. Drake chose to intentionally walk Cacy Williams and Brittany Fortner bringing up Liz Broyles with the bases loaded. Liz then delivered the winning run with a single to RF to win the game.

Jenni Brooks game into the game in relief of Kelsey Sterneker with no outs in the Top of the 4th. Sterneker after putting up goose eggs in the 1st three innings gave up a single, homer and homer to the 1st three Drake batters in the 4th to put Drake up 3-2. Jenni pitched 5 scoreless innings allowing only 2 hits although she did walk 4. In any case, outstanding relief work by Jenni together with LIz's timely hitting carried the Shocks to the win.

Shocks now 2-7 in Valley play with little, if any, hope of contending for a 2nd straight Valley title.

[flyingMoose]

I had the chance to go watch this one, arriving in the bottom of the first.

The lineup was changed up a bit. Brittany, Ashley and Cacy were in the outfield with Erin at first. Michelle Dixon was the DP for the day. Kelsey got the start. You may as well give everyone a try - nobody is pitching with any confidence at the moment.

The wind was definitely a factor in this one. Brittany caught a ball against the fence in the Drake second that would have been a homer without the wind. Then she had a double in the seventh that was a wind-prevented homer.

All of the RBI-hits by Liz were with two outs. The double to right-center in the first was kicked around a bit against the fence by the outfielders, allowing Cacy to score from first. Someone could easily have been charged with an error. A nice piece of base running by Cacy set up Liz' RBI in the fifth. Cacy had a one-out double and advanced to third on a ground out that the shortstop had to move to her left on. Liz then smashed a line drive that the pitcher could not hang on to, and the ball fell behind her where no one had a play, Cacy scoring. Liz' game-winning hit was a hard ground ball (working back from an 0-2 count) past the first baseman who really had no chance to react to it. The inning was set up by a two-base throwing error on a come-backer to the pitcher.

Kelsey's fatal fourth started with a ground ball that Mackenzie could not backhand at third. Although it was correctly scored a hit, it also is a play you would like your third baseman to be able to make. The single was followed by a homer sliced down the right field line and a bomb to left-center that shredded the wind. Mackenzie did make a couple of nice plays later. She got a force out on an attempted sac bunt in the sixth and reacted nicely on a one-hop smash in the eighth to get the third out at first.

Drake had runners reach second against Jenni in the fifth and sixth innings, but in both cases there were two outs. Jenni had both her drop and change working today. She had a nice strikeout in the eighth with her change on a 3-2 pitch.

We saw both Drake pitchers in this one. Schmidt pitched the first four innings and re-entered to start the eighth. Newman, the freshman, pitched the other three innings. A rise ball is her main pitch, and I could see how when it is really working, she could hold a team to three hits.

The Shocks almost won the game in the seventh. With the bases loaded on a walk, double and HBP, Melanie hit a chopper back in the five-six hole. The shortstop shuffled the ball to the third baseman to get the out, an out that was argued vehemently by HCKB. She was also warned fairly early in the game (third inning?) for questioning balls and strikes. Feeling the pressure a little, was she?


The Shockers host Nebraska-Omaha on Tuesday before traveling to Cedar Falls for their next conference series against Northern Iowa on Friday and Saturday.

[flyingMoose]

Other Series

Illinois State 3-0 Evansville

Bradley 3-0 Loyola (played in Peoria due to field conditions in Chicago)

Southern Illinois 0-3 Northern Iowa

Missouri State 2-1 Indiana State


Conference Standings

7-2 Drake
7-2 Illinois State
6-2 Northern Iowa
6-3 Southern Illinois
5-4 Missouri State
4-5 Bradley
4-5 Indiana State
2-6 Loyola
2-7 Shockers
1-8 Evansville