It was a slow start for the Illinois State softball team, but patience paid off as Kate Stake hit a double down the left field line to drive home Corey Harris for the 1-0 victory over Northern Illinois, Wednesday, April 16 at the Redbird Softball Complex.
Stakes double was her sixth of the season, as she went 2-for-3 on the day. She leads the team in RBIs with 16.
Redbird pitcher Audra Rast picked up another win, increasing her record to 14-8, as she tied her season-high strikeout mark of 13. Rast allowed two hits but gave up no runs.
Head coach
Melinda Fischer was pleased with the back-to-back mid-week games, as the Redbirds defeated Western Illinois yesterday in Macomb, Ill., 5-0, and picked up the win today over the Huskies.
Audra did a great job once she settled down, said Fischer. Our defense played great. We had the diving catch from Abbie Scott in right field and Dominique Borba made a great play at shortstop.
Timely hits have been our story all season, but it was huge for Kate Stake to step up and hit the double to bring home the winning run, added Fischer.
The Redbirds improved to 23-17 and will return to Missouri Valley Conference action this weekend as they head to Omaha, Nebraska, to take on Creighton, April 19-20. The Redbirds are 14-2 in the Valley, while Creighton is 8-9. Both teams have won four of their last five games.
Creighton is doing some nice things on the field, said Fischer. They are a tremendous team and are on a roll right now. We have to stay focused and go out there and perform the way we are capable of performing.
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