Feb. 13, 2009
Box Score
Tempe, AZ --- Jessica Baca broke open a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth inning with a grand slam, and then Whitney Chaffe gave ISU breathing room with a three-run shot in the seventh as Idaho State rode the long ball to a 10-5 win over Illinois State in the opening game of the Littlewood Classic in Tempe, Arizona, giving interim head coach Andrea Wilson her first career victory.
Baca's two-out slam was her second homerun of the season, and it gave ISU and pitcher Kandis Clesson a 6-2 lead. The Redbirds, who went 28-20 last year, responded in kind in the bottom of the sixth, closing the gap to 6-5 on a two-run homer by Niki Stansell and a Casey Gorrell double, but with the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position, Clesson (1-3) coaxed Jessie Buker to ground out to Baca at short to end the rally.
ISU then put the game away in the seventh with four more runs, getting four straight one-out hits, all off reliever Megan Warner. First, Merissa Jannsen singled, and Jenn Martensen pushed her to third with a double. Krista Armstrong singled to right, scoring Jannsen and leaving runners at the corners for Chaffe, who deposited one over the fence for her third career home run and first hit of the season, making it 10-5.
Clesson then wiggled out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh to give ISU the win, and in the process, give interim head coach Andrea Wilson her first career coaching victory.
ISU opened the game with a two-out rally in the first to draw first blood as Baca and Cristin Martin singled and then advanced on a double steal. Brittany Olsin singled to short scoreing Baca, but Martin got caught rounding third and was out in a rundown. Illinois State scored an unearned run in the first and fourth to take a 2-1 lead before Megan Miller tied it with a leadoff homer in the fifth.
Idaho State got 11 hits in the game, four for extra bases. Baca was 2-for-5 with four runs batted in, and Jannsen went 2-for-4. All nine starters got a hit for ISU. Clesson went the distance, allowing five runs (three earned) and eight hits, striking out six. She struggled with her control a bit, walking eight and hitting a batter as well.
ISU takes on Iowa later in the day on Friday in their second game of the Littlewood Classic.
NOTES: Baca's grand slam was the second since the program returned in 2007, as Brittany Olsin hit one last year against Eastern Oregon ... Baca now has six RBI on the season ... the Bengals have hit seven home runs in six games after hitting just 13 all last season ... Clesson's 35 strike outs are 14 more than she had all last year.
