Big 4th inning helps ISU softball sweep Wichita State

[March 26, 2012]  NORMAL -- Doubles by Kelsey Turczyn and Sara Bradley in the bottom of the fourth gave the Illinois State softball team its first lead of the game on Sunday, and the Redbirds went on to sweep Missouri Valley Conference rival Wichita State with a 4-1 win, following 3-0 and 5-3 victories in the Saturday games with WSU.

Jordan Birch won her third game of the weekend, improving her record to 11-8. Birch retired seven Shocker batters via strikeout in the game and allowed just two hits, both coming in the top of the fourth. Along with Turczyn and Bradley, Laura Canopy and Caiti Kopp recorded the other Redbird hits on the day. Canopy finished the weekend 5 of 7 at the plate in the three-game series.

ISU left Canopy and Kopp on the bases in scoring position in the bottom of the second but couldn't push the duo across, as the Redbirds and Shockers tried to get some offense going in the final game of the three-game series.

Wichita State didn't have any base runners in the first three innings, but in the top of the fourth, Wichita State got started offensively off a double by Rachel Milnark. A two-out single to left center field by Erin Carney drove in Milnark to give WSU a 1-0 lead.

In their half of the fourth inning in the batter's box, the Redbirds came alive offensively. Elizabeth Kay reached first after getting hit by a pitch, while Canopy and Kopp walked to load the bases. With one out, Turczyn hit a bases-clearing double to give ISU its first lead of the game, 3-1. Turczyn moved to third on a wild pitch and scored off a double to left center by Bradley to increase Illinois State's lead to 4-1.

The Shockers weren't able to score any runs and managed just two more base runners as ISU defeated WSU 4-1.

Illinois State will travel to DeKalb to face Northern Illinois on Tuesday at 4 p.m., before taking on Southern Illinois next weekend in Carbondale.

[Text from file received from Illinois State]