MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois Softball team opened the 2011 season with a pair of losses at the Iowa State Cyclone Invitational on Friday, Feb. 11 at Bergstrom Indoor Facility.
The Fighting Leathernecks (0-2) dropped their first game to Creighton (1-1) by an 8-0 score in the first game before falling to Iowa State (2-0) by a score of 17-0 in the second game.
"We definitely got some of the jitters out of the way today," said head coach Holly Van Vlymen. "It's going to take some time to get everyone up to speed with so many new players but we're a good team and I'm not worried at all."
Western Illinois will look for redemption tomorrow when they face Valparaiso at 12 p.m. before a taking on Iowa State at 2:30 p.m. in a rematch of day one. Each game can be heard live via Rocky Vision starting 20 minutes before the first pitch.
Game 1 - Creighton 8, Western Illinois 0
Creighton used a four-run fifth inning to put Western Illinois away via the run-rule in the 2011 opener for both teams. The Bluejays were helped by a solid pitching performance from freshman Becca Changstrom, who held the Leathernecks to just one hit in her collegiate debut.
The Bluejays struck first on McKenna Setlik's RBI single in the bottom of the first inning before the freshman first baseman extended the lead to 3-0 with a two-run single in the third.
Western Illinois would pick up its lone hit of the game on a Colleen Biebel single in the top of the fourth inning before Jamie Goss hit into an inning-ending double play. Creighton would tack on one run in the bottom of the fourth before putting the game out of reach with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth and final inning.
Ashley Campbell (0-1) took the loss for the Leathernecks in her first pitching performance sine the 2009 season. She allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in 4.0 innings of work while surrendering three walks and tying a career-high with five strikeouts. Changstrom (1-0) faced the minimum 15 batters in 5.0 innings while recording four strikeouts and no walks. Setlik finished 3-for-3 with three RBI in her first collegiate game.
The Leathernecks were outhit 10 to one and committed three errors while the Bluejays were perfect in the field. Hailey Bickford saw her first collegiate action by facing four batters in the fifth inning. "Creighton did a great job today even though Ashley pitched well," said Van Vlymen. "Each day she pitches she'll keep getting better, her speed was good and her off-speed stuff was great. I think on a slower, dirt surface a lot of those ground balls from Creighton wouldn't have gotten through for hits."
The Leathernecks will face Creighton in their final game at the Cyclone Invitational at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
Game 2 - Iowa State 17, Western Illinois 0
Iowa State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before putting the game out of reach with nine runs in the third inning of a 17-0, five-inning win over Western Illinois in the nightcap of the Cyclone Invitational.
The Cyclones plated the first run on Erica Miller's RBI double in the top of the first inning. Iowa State would tack on another run on a Bianca Lopez RBI groundout in the next inning.
The Leathernecks would threaten in the bottom half of the inning. Kelsey Michelini's one-out single gave Western Illinois its first baserunner before Nikki Marinec reached on an error with two outs. Anna Copeland drew a walk in the next at bat to load the bases but the threat would end when Hannah Frennell grounded out to second base to end the inning. Iowa State's offense would explode in the top of the third inning, scoring nine runs on five hits and one error. The Cyclones scored the first three runs on an error, a wild pitch and an RBI groundout before plating another run with a bases loaded walk to make it 6-0.
Miller would come through with a two-run single after the Leathernecks made a pitching change with no outs and the bases loaded to push the lead to 8-0.
Tori Torrescano smacked an RBI single to make it 9-0 before Sara Davison hit a two-run double to complete the nine-run inning and give the Cyclones an 11-0 lead.
Iowa State would tack on six runs on six hits in the top of the fourth to make the final 17-0. Miller finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBI.
Torrescano (1-0) picked up the win by pitching 5.0 shutout innings while allowing just three hits. She walked one and struck out three and was 2-for-3 with three RBI at the plate.
Michelini (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on five hits in 4.0 innings of work. She walked seven and struck out three.
Bickford pitched one inning in relief and allowed eight runs on nine hits while recording one strikeout. Michelle Prieto was 1-for-3 and Briana Williams picked up a hit in her first collegiate at bat. The Leathernecks were outhit 17 to three and committed two errors to Iowa State's one. Western Illinois left four runners on base in the game.
"We've got some work to do defensively," said Van Vlymen. "It's a matter of getting some new people used to playing together. I was really happy to see us fight to the end today even when the game was out of reach."
