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 Lizzie Andrews was 4 of 5 over the two games with two doubles and
three RBIs. She also scored two runs. Jhavon Hamilton was 2 of 4 at
the plate with a home run and a double and scored four runs for ISU
in the doubleheader, while Laura Canopy went 2 of 5, driving in
three runs and scoring two.
In the circle for the first game, Jordan Birch faced 35 Bluejay
batters, struck out eight and allowed one CU run to score. Megan
Warner got the start in the second game and struck out five batters
in three innings, allowing three runs on three hits. Sophia Perez
came in as relief for Warner in the fourth and finished the game
with five strikeouts to record her third win of the season.
Game one recap: Illinois State 3, Creighton 1
Creighton started the game with a leadoff double by Homan, who was
left stranded on second after Birch came back and struck out three
Bluejay batters. Illinois State responded and took a quick one-run
lead off of a leadoff homer over the right-field wall by Hamilton.
After the early offensive start by both teams, the Bluejays and the
Redbirds were silent through the next three innings. ISU came back
to life in the fifth, scoring two runs. Hamilton walked and moved to
second on a single by Andrews to right field. With a 0-2 count,
Elizabeth Kay was hit by a pitch, pushing Hamilton and Andrews up a
base to load the bases for Illinois State. Canopy singled to the gap
in right field and drove in Hamilton and Andrews, while Kay stopped
on third. ISU wouldn't be able to score Kay, but had a 3-0 lead
after five full innings.
Creighton wasn't going down without a fight, and in its half of the
seventh, Alexis Cantu homered to right-center field to cut ISU's
lead to two. Starting with Cantu's home run, Birch allowed
four straight Bluejay hits in the seventh and loaded the bases with
one out. Birch recovered and struck out two straight Creighton
batters to end the inning and the game.
[to top of second column] |
Game two recap: Illinois State 8, Creighton 3
Like they did in the first game, the Redbirds jumped ahead
quickly, taking a two-run advantage in the first. Hamilton
walked and quickly moved to second on a bunt single by Lauren
Kellar. Andrews hit a single up the middle and scored Hamilton
from second. Kellar stayed on third and Andrews moved to second
during the play. Kopp recorded an RBI single to the left side,
pushing Kellar across home plate for the second ISU run of the
inning.
Bri Lingl hit a solo shot to dead center field, shortening
Illinois State's lead to one after two innings. In the bottom
half of the third with two outs and runners on first and second,
Kopp doubled to right-center field and drove in two more Redbird
runs, increasing ISU's lead to three at 4-1. Thanks to a two-run
homer over the center field wall by CU's Amy Baker in the top
half of the fourth, Creighton shortened Illinois State's lead to
one at 4-3.
With the bases loaded in favor of the Redbirds, Creighton walked
in the fifth run for ISU, giving Illinois State a little more
breathing room with a two-run advantage, 5-3. In the bottom of
the sixth, Andrews chalked up an RBI double to left-center
field, as she drove in Hamilton, who had a leadoff double to the
gap in right-center field. With two outs, Canopy singled to
right field and pushed Andrews across from second. Kopp
continued the two-out offensive attack with a double to left
field that scored Canopy from first to stretch ISU's lead to
five runs, 8-3, through six innings. ISU held CU scoreless in
the top of the seventh and took its second win of the day.
Illinois State and Creighton were to face off for the final game of
the three-game series Sunday, beginning at noon. ISU planned too honor
its seniors prior to the game.
[Text from
news release received from Lauren Hutchcraft, assistant athletics
communications director, Illinois
State University]
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