Shocker SB at Evansville

[flyingMoose]

The Shockers continue their Valley season this weekend with a trip to Evansville. As is the custom, they play a DH that starts at noon on Saturday with a single game on Sunday at noon.

The Purple Aces have a record of 14-18 with a 2-7 mark in the Valley. They lost all of their games to league-leading Drake (all by two runs or less) and took one game in their series with Northern Iowa and Bradley. The only common opponent is Kansas to whom they lost a DH. Their RPI ranking at the beginning of the week was 156.

The two highest OPS on the team belong to Chandra Parr (.951) and Michal Luckett (.883). They both have three home runs to lead the team.

Amanda Blankenship has almost three-fourths of the starts for Evansville. Her ERA is 4.16 and her WHIP is 1.64. However, Morgan Florey has half-again as many innings as Blankenship and one more appearance, but only four starts. Florey's ERA is 1.85 and her WHIP is 1.15. It will be interesting to see how the staff is handled this weekend. Clearly, Florey has the better numbers (and record, too).

For the Shocks, Jenni now has an ERA of 2.83 and a WHIP of 1.37. The numbers for Katie are 4.48 and 1.59 and for Kelsey are 3.92 and 1.75.

The Shocker offense is led by Macklin with an OPS of 1.158 and six home runs. Others are PaigeL (1.128 and five home runs), Brittany (1.036) and Cacy (.991 and seven home runs).

[flyingMoose]

Game One

Jenni has the start in this one. MackenzieW is back at third and Cassidy is catching while Liz sits. Morgan Florey has the start for Evansville.

There were barely any base runners in this game until the Shocker fifth. With one out, Laurie Anne walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch with two outs. Ashley singled LA to third and Brittany scored her with a single of her own. Liz then drove Ashley in with a pinch-hit single. Shockers lead 2-0 after five.

When Jenni yielded a leadoff walk in the seventh, Katie came on in relief. A double and sac fly scored one run for the Purple Aces and had the tying run at third with one out. Katie then got a pop out and ground out to end the game.

Shockers 2-1 Evansville


Five of the conference losses by Evansville have been by one run.

The Shocker only had five hits, three of them in the fifth when they scored their two runs. Jenni allowed three hits and three walks in her six innings to get the win and run her record to 11-4. Katie got her third save of the year.

[1972Shocker]

Game 1 Line score:

WSU 2 Runs, 5 Hits, 1 Err, 6 LOB
EVN 1 Run, 4 Hits, 1 Err, 6 LOB

The Shocks jumped in front in the top of the 5th with a 2-out rally. With 1 out Laurie Anne Derrico walked. Cassidy Kelsheimer struck out of the 2nd out of the inning. Ashley Johsnon singled moving Laurie Anne to 3rd base and getting the Shocks back to the top of the lineup. Brittany Fortner singled to center driving in Laurie Anne and moving Ashley to 2nd. Liz Broyles pinch hit for Kelli Spring in the 2 hole and delivered a single to right center scoring Ashley and moving Brittany to 3rd. Kelli was reinserted to run for Liz and promptly stole 2nd base. However, Paige Luellen struck out to end the inning.

Jenni Brooks started in the circle for the Shocks and held the fort in grand style pitching a 3-hit shutout over the 1st 6th innings. However, things did get a bit interesting in the 7th. Jenni walked the lead off batter and in what may have been a bit of a quick hook (hard to say for sure) she was pulled with Katie Malone coming on in relief. Katie gave up a double putting Evansville runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs. A sac fly to center scored the runner from 3rd with the tying run moving up from 2nd to 3rd. Katie got a pop up to 2B and a ground out to 3B to wiggle out of the jam and preserve the win for the Shocks.

Great to see the Shocks pitching come through. Hopefully, they can get the bats going in Game 2 and take a bit of the pressure off the pitching staff.

[1972Shocker]

Damn, my ESP must not be working.

[flyingMoose]

Game Two

Katie has the start with Liz at second and Kelli sitting. Blankenship has the start for Evansville.

The Shocks struck first with a two-spot in the first. Singles by PaigeL, Macklin and Cacy loaded the bases. Liz and MackenzieW followed with RBI singles.

Cassidy singled in the fourth and two outs later PaigeL slammed a two-run homer.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Purple Aces opened with a single and a walk. Two outs later Katie walked another to load the bases. A grand slam followed and Kelsey came in to relieve. 4-4 after four.

In the sixth, Evansville had a walk, stolen base and double to score another run. They eventually had runners at the corners with one out, but Kelsey escaped with no further damage.

Florey came on to start the seventh. Singles by Liz and Laurie Ann had runners on with one out, but two strikeouts followed.

Shockers 4-5 Evansville


Katie, as is her habit, was cruising along and then the wheels came off. She gave up four runs on four hits and two walks in 3.2. Kelsey went the final 2.1, giving up the game-winning hit and three walks. She now has a record of 1-4.

PaigeL had two hits of the ten hits by the Shocks including the home run and had two RBI. Liz also had two hits.

[1972Shocker]

Game 2 Linescore:

WSU 4 runs, 10 hits, 1 Error, 11 LOB
EVN 5 runs, 5 hits, 1 Error, 5 LOB

Paige Luellen's 2-run homer in the top of the 4th put the Shock's up 4-0.

In the bottom of the 4th Katie Malone gave up a single and a walk to open the inning. She then got the next two batters on a strike out and a foul pop up to 3B. She then loaded the bases on another walk before giving up a grand slam home run on what looked like a half swing on a pitch up in the zone. Kelsey Sterneker came on in relief at that point.

In the bottom of the 6th Kelsey gave up a walk, stolen base and double to right center to give Evansville the lead at 5-4.

In the top of the 7th Liz Broyles lead off with a single to left. At that point Evansville went to its Game 1 pitcher Morgan Florey. Surprisingly, McKenzie Wright was not sacrificing and ground into a fielder's choice forcing Kelli (who was running for Liz) at 2B. Laurie Anne Derrico then ripped a ball towards the 2nd baseman who could not come up with the hot shot. Laurie Anne was awarded a hit and the Shocks had runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Unfortunately, the Shocks were at the bottom of their order and the 8 and 9 hole hitters, Cassidy Kelsheimer and Paige Mason (pinch-hitting for Ashley Johnson), both struck out. Cassidy worked the count full and was out on a questionable 3rd strike call but PaigeM looked totally overmatched and is now 0-14 on the season.

I have to question why McKenzie was not bunting in that situation although we still had two shots at driving in the tying run with a runner in scoring position so I guess it really did not make much difference. Not sure if HCKB had better options for pinch hitting with the game on the line or not but PaigeM clearly is not swinging the bat with any confidence at this point.

The game certainly had the feel of the Shocks giving one away. The 2nd weekend in a row that has happened although the 7th inning error-fest last Sunday against Illinois State was worse. However, those kind of games will make it very, very difficult for the Shocks to win a Valley title.

[1972Shocker]

I did it again.

Whatever the Shockers had on the training table today avoid. Both the baseball team and softball team had some great scoring opportunities go by the wayside.

In the 1st the Lady Shocks had already scored 2 runs and had the bases loaded with only 1 out. Derrico popped up to 1B and Kelsheimer grounded into a force out.

In the 2nd the Lady Shocks had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Hitz lined out and Williams struck out.

In the 4th, after PaigeL's 2-run homer put the Shocks up 4-0 Hitz reached 2B on a walk and a wild pitch but Williams struck out again to end the inning.

In the 5th the Shocks put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out but two ground outs to 2B ended that opportunity.

In the 7th the Shocks put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out but the Kelsheimer and Mason strike outs ended that opportunity.

Never know when an extra run here and there will be critical. Especially with Katie's propensity to give up home runs at the worst time.

[1972Shocker]

Katie, as is her habit, was cruising along and then the wheels came off.

Any thoughts on what is causing Katie to do this kind of thing so often? Does she lose focus and intensity when her team stakes her to a nice lead? She just has not be nearly as dependable as I had expected her to be this year.

[flyingMoose]

Any thoughts on what is causing Katie to do this kind of thing so often? Does she lose focus and intensity when her team stakes her to a nice lead? She just has not be nearly as dependable as I had expected her to be this year.

My fallback position when someone gets raked is that they do not hit their spots. Does she throw too many pitches that are the same speed? Does she not get enough ball movement on the different pitches she throws (curve, rise, etc.)? If the answer to those questions is Yes, and you don't hit your spots ... Plus she does not keep the ball down, so hard hit balls leave the yard or are gappers instead of just being a hard single somewhere.

This is a theory that has no particular basis in known facts - just a theory. When you grow up in small-town Nebraska, you don't have to learn to do those things - you just blow it by everybody. Not knowing what travel team experience she had or pitching coach experience she had, I don't know when the transition away from just raw power could have started. You certainly cannot get away with only raw power at this level. I would have thought she could have made that transition by now even if she did not start the transition until her freshman year. But apparently not so. This is a major Ryne project that I hope he can complete for her senior year.

Jenni, of course, does not throw as hard, but she hits spots, changes speeds and keeps the ball down - mostly. She had the difference of playing travel ball out of KC where she would have to learn to do those things to be successful.

[flyingMoose]

Game Three

Jenni has the start in this game. MackenzieW is catching, Liz is at third, Kelli is back at second and Cassidy is sitting. Florey has the start for the Purple Aces.

Both teams scored a run in the first. Macklin had a solo homer for the Shocks. After Evansville batters reached base on two infield singles, another single scored their run.

The Shockers scored a run in the third to take the lead. Kelli walked, stole second and advanced to third on a single by Brittany. Macklin's sac fly scored Kelli. Shockers lead 2-1 after three.

Evansville scored two in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead: walk, single, run-scoring double, run-scoring single.

Kelsey came on in relief to start the bottom of the fifth - an interesting, even telling?, choice.

Florey retired the Shockers in order over the last three innings to seal the victory.

Shockers 2-3 Evansville


The Shocks had six hits, two each by Brittany and MackenzieW. Macklin had the home run and both RBI.

Jenni allowed seven hits and three runs in her four innings. Kelsey gave up one hit in her two innings of relief. The loss brings Jenni's record to 11-5.

[1972Shocker]

You definitely notice with Katie that she does not change speeds.

[1972Shocker]

Morgan Florey turned the table on Jenni Brooks today. Jenni won a 2-1 pitcher's duel on Friday and Florey came back today to win a 3-2 battle. Unfortunately, the Shocks also dropped the middle game of the series, one they probably should have won, and are now a pedestrian 7-5 in the Valley.

I think this weekend pretty much would any hope, a slim as they were, of the Shocks getting an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. At this point it's wins the Valley Touranment or put up the gear. Shocks have a lot of work in front of them just to finish 2nd in the regular season. I had high hopes they were coming on after their back-to-back wins over KU and Tulsa in the mid-week games. Unfortunately, that had little, if any, carryover value.

[flyingMoose]

Morgan Florey turned the table on Jenni Brooks today.

Florey, a freshman, has been Newcomer of the Week twice and Pitcher of the Week once. She struck out seventeen in her fifteen innings against the Shockers. Entering the weekend, her 9.2Ks per seven innings ranked seventeenth in D-I. Sydnee Eck (Andale/Butler/Creighton) ranks twelfth with 9.6Ks per seven innings. Sigh - if only.

[Quick Pitch]

Florey, a freshman, has been Newcomer of the Week twice and Pitcher of the Week once. She struck out seventeen in her fifteen innings against the Shockers. Entering the weekend, her 9.2Ks per seven innings ranked seventeenth in D-I. Sydnee Eck (Andale/Butler/Creighton) ranks twelfth with 9.6Ks per seven innings. Sigh - if only.

I watched Butler vs Highland CC a week ago and sat behind what I assume was a redshirt player working the radar gun for Butler. They threw 3 different pitchers.
First one was at 67mph, second one was 65mph, and the third was 63mph. Second pitcher had a nasty curve and change up. One of the parents told me that Alabama had been calling the first pitcher several times last fall but she committed to Creighton for their nursing program.
I'm not saying that we need to recruit Butler players, (would be nice to have Eck though) but if a juco 30 minutes from here can find pitchers like that, why can't we? It's ironic that the best pitcher we have had the last 5 years is a kid (Malone) that signed at Butler in the first place. And the only way we found her was that her best friend was already coming to WSU and told coach B about her.

[flyingMoose]

if a juco 30 minutes from here can find pitchers like that

I tend to think (but do not know, certainly) that Doug does not find all of these pitchers, but 1) they find him because of the reputation of the program or 2) that coaches funnel them to him - park kids they want but cannot use immediately. But again, I do not know, it just has that appearance.