SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Illinois State softball team (23-24, 15-5 MVC) extended its season-best winning streak to seven games with two wins at Missouri State (25-24, 8-14 MVC), Saturday afternoon. With the 6-2 and 7-3 victories, and two Wichita State losses, the Redbirds surged to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference standings with six regular-season games remaining, including three against the Shockers.
Laura Canopy led the ISU offense from the top of the order by going 4-for-6 with a home run, two RBI, a double, three runs scored, and a walk. Nichelle Harrison and Kara Repp tallied three hits and two RBI apiece, while Brittny Drish drove home three runs with a three-run blast in game two.
Regan Romshek and Taylor Baxter, who have combined to post the MVC's lowest ERA in league games, excelled once again on Saturday. Romshek earned a win in game one and a save in game two. The sophomore allowed just two runs in 10.0 innings pitched, while striking out two and walking one. Baxter improved to 7-0 in Valley action by throwing 4.0 innings in game two.
Game One: Illinois State 6, Missouri State 2
After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, ISU scored six of the game's next seven runs to open the series with a victory.
Bethany Sullinger put the Bears on top with a two-out RBI single against Romshek (WP, 15-14) in the first inning. MSU starter Erin Struemph (LP, 10-10) retired the first eight batters of the game, before ISU got to her with three runs in the third.
Kolby Hoffman began the rally by laying down a bunt that was misplayed by MSU. Canopy then followed with a two-run homer to right that was in the glove of right fielder Chelsea Jones before she collided with the wall, which jarred the ball loose and gave Canopy her sixth blast of the season. Harrison continued the surge with a triple, and scored when Romshek singled down the line to make it 3-1 ISU.
Harrison singled home Kelsey Turczyn in the fourth to give ISU a 4-1 lead, before Sullinger took Romshek deep in the bottom half of the frame to make it 4-2. The Redbirds responded with the final two runs of the game, on RBI singles from Repp and Annie Heineman in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively.
Romshek scattered eight hits in her complete game effort, the sixth-straight time she has gone the distance in a start.
Game Two: Illinois State 7, Missouri State 3
Illinois State carried the momentum into game two, scoring the contest's first seven runs en route to the doubleheader sweep.
The Redbirds tallied once in both the first and second innings against MSU starter Jones (LP, 9-8). Canopy led off the game with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a ground out, and scampered home on an errant pickoff attempt to open the game's scoring. In the second inning, Stephanie Gallant led off with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly from Repp two batters later to give the Redbirds a 2-0 advantage.
ISU busted the game open with a five-run third. Canopy began the frame with a double, and scored one batter later when Harrison singled her home. Harrison later scored on a Gallant sacrifice fly, before Drish clubbed a three-run homer that stayed just inside the right-field foul pole. The long ball was Drish's third of the season and put the Redbirds up 7-0.
After cruising through the first two innings, Baxter (WP, 8-10) gave up three runs in the third on a sacrifice fly from Jones and a two-RBI triple from Sullinger that cut ISU's lead to 7-3. Baxter rebounded with one more scoreless frame in the fourth, before Romshek (SV, 2) blanked the Bears for the final 3.0 innings to earn her second save of the season.
ISU will go for the series sweep in the finale on Sunday. Due to severe weather in the forecast, first pitch has been moved up from noon to 10 a.m.
GoRedbirds.com:Â Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.Â
