Illinois State (4-6-0) couldnt do enough on Sunday morning to get a second win over No. 8 Arizona State after defeating the Sundevils, 3-0, for the first time in Redbird Softball history on Friday nigt. Arizona State defeated the birds 3-1, ending the weekend with a record of 3-2 in the Louisville Slugger Classic hosted by Arizona State.
The Redbirds gave all they had against the Devils but could get only one run, which was earned in the top of the fifth inning on a single by freshman Kate Stake, who knocked in Jamie Bagnall after a double to center field.
Illinois States performance marks the best record the Birds have ever had in the Classic, beating both (6) Iowa and Arizona State. Head coach
Melinda Fischer had a feeling her team would have a better tournament in Tempe, compared to the performance they had the first weekend of February at the Fun in the Sun Classic in Miami, Fla.
Our team was so much more focused this weekend, said Fischer, regarding the Redbirds winning record. I think they were more focused on taking care of the game as it went instead of worrying about the results and thinking ahead. The two games we lost only depended on one or two key hits of having the opportunity to win the game or to tie it up.
Over the weekend, the Redbirds had notable play by pitcher Audra Rast, who threw the first no-hitter of her career against Michigan State on Friday.
I feel our biggest improvement was in the pitching area, said Fischer. Audra Rast, Corey Harris and Crystal Gary did exactly what we needed them to do. They made a big difference for us on the mound.
Bagnall was also huge for the Birds, powering the ball over the left field fence for a game-winning grand slam against Iowa, earning her a .692 slugging percentage and a .385 batting average for the tournament.
Freshman Dominque Borba made her first appearance for the Birds this season, walking away with 10 assists and 4 putouts at shortstop. She was also a positive player at the plate hitting .357 in the Classic.
She had a great tournament, said head coach
Melinda Fischer, of Borbas performance. Dom[inique] made some key hits and plays that really stabilized what we were trying to do on the defensive end for us.
Fischer suspected that her team would have a better weekend, due to the hard work and situational breakdowns they executed during practice.
I was counting on them to work hard for two weeks, said Fischer. Our goal was to beat Arizona State and to win over half of our games. They did what they needed to do and we accomplished our goals.
The Redbirds next outing will be March 1-3 in College Station, Tex., where Texas A&M hosts the Aggie II Invitational.
