Feb. 10, 2007
Illinois-Illinois State Box Score
Illinois-Oklahoma Box Score
Miami, Fla. -
Illinois opened the season with two wins on Friday, but only scored in one of 14 innings on Saturday in losses to Illinois State, 5-2, and No. 16 Oklahoma, 3-0 in day two of the Diamond Fun & Sun Classic in Miami.
In their first game of the day, the Illini (2-2) had six hits through three innings in building a 2-0 lead over Illinois State. That's when the Redbirds' pitcher Stacy Birk entered the game. Birk didn't give up a hit while striking out five in 4 1/3 innings of relief as her teammates rallied for a 5-2 victory at the Diamond Fun & Sun Classic in Miami.
Illinois had four straight hits, including three straight doubles in the third inning. Molly Lawhead, Angelena Mexicano and Kisten Martin each roped doubles off ISU starter Shannon Nicholason. That gave the Illini a 2-0 lead.
ISU got on the board in the third with Amber Smith singling home Jackie Williams, who had led off the inning with a double. Kaprice Williams tied the score with an RBI single in the fourth.
Illinois had two chances to retake the lead with two base runners in the fifth and another in the sixth. Redbird second baseman Tiffany Prager leaped to snag a would-be base hit from Illinois' Sarah Bryers with a runner on in the sixth. Prager flipped to Smith at first to double up the runner.
Illinois State broke through against reliever Ashley Wright (2-2) with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Jackie Williams scored on a wild pitch and right fielder Kelsey Warning singled in the other two.
Shanna Diller (2-for-4) had two hits vs. the Redbirds.
Molly Lawhead had two of Illinois' six hits vs. Oklahoma. The Sooners got all of their runs in the fourth, on an RBI double from Traci Dickinson and a two-run inside-the-park home run from Norelle Dickson.
Illinois' best chance to score came in the third inning, when the Illini loaded the bases. With two outs, Hope Howell reached on a bunt single, Lawhead singled up the middle and Shanna Diller reached on a walk. Following that Oklahoma's Lauren Eckerman (3-0) retired eight straight.
Illinois will meet either Florida International or Louisville at noon CT Sunday in the third-place game of the tournament. Oklahoma plays Illinois State for the championship at 10 a.m. CT.
