SB Hosts Butler for DH Wed. 3/24

[SycEm]

Softball sits at 11-8 on the season and welcomes Butler to Price Field for a DH on Wednesday starting at 2pm. Butler comes into the games with a record of 19-4.
We have had a couple of common opponents:
Butler beat Tennessee State twice (4-2 and 4-3). We beat them 1-0.
Butler beat Lehigh 7-3; we beat them 4-0.
Butler beat Sacred Heart 7-1; we beat them 1-0.
Butler beat Bryant 8-4; we beat them 3-1.
LiveStats should be available on the ISU website if you are unable to attend.

[SycEm]

Softball drops both games to Butler yesterday, losing the opener 14-7 (did a baseball game break out?) and the second game 3-0. Butler is now 21-4 on the season, Sycamores are 11-10. I saw most of the second game, and I had a difficult time figuring out if Butler is really good or if we were just pretty average. Really struggled to hit the Butler pitcher - Fr. Jenny Esparza who was the Indy Star Player of the Year a season ago. She threw 10 scoreless innings yesterday in the two games. McCurdy again doesn't give up an earned run in her loss.
Big conference series this weekend with UNI coming to town. Panthers picked to come in 3rd are 1-0 in the league so far. ISU has down very well in the series of late:
2009: ISU wins 2 of 3 in Cedar Falls
2008: ISU sweeps all 3 in Terre Haute and wins a non-conference match up
2007: Entire series rained out in Cedar Falls
2006: ISU wins 2 of 3 in Terre Haute

[sycamores28]

Was at the game yesterday and Butlers pitcher got called for illegal pitch. What is an illegal pitch?

[Eleven]

There are different reasons... but the primary reason is for "leaping and replanting" during the pitch.

Basically, the pitcher's foot left the rubber and replanted (up to 5 feet closer) before the ball left the pitchers hand. Umps will let you "drive off the rubber"... but when your trailing foot replants before you pitch.... they call an illegal pitch.

[Sycamores23]

Or she stepped out of the chalked rectangular box -

[sycamorebacker]

It's been a while, but I'm sure both feet must remain on the rubber throughout the windup. As you pitch, your back foot comes off the rubber but it must slide and not leave the ground. I'm not aware of a rectangular chalk box for the pitcher. Is that new?

[Sycamore Proud]

Jenny Esparza was the best HS pitcher I remember seeing, ever. She throws hard, with excellent control and fields the position well.

[Sycamores23]

It's been a while, but I'm sure both feet must remain on the rubber throughout the windup. As you pitch, your back foot comes off the rubber but it must slide and not leave the ground. I'm not aware of a rectangular chalk box for the pitcher. Is that new?

Yes Sycamorebacker - it is a new thing. It has always been a rule not to step outside of the "imaginary" 24 foot box but it was hard to tell so it was just enforced last season that the box must be chalked before the game. Most of the time however, it is wiped out within the first couple of innings...but it's still a rule.