CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Illinois State softball team (14-21, 6-3 MVC) surrendered two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lose the series finale at Southern Illinois (17-17, 5-6 MVC), 5-4, Sunday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium. The Redbirds still claimed the three-game set by virtue of two wins on Saturday, their third-straight series win to begin league play.
The Redbirds brought a 4-3 advantage into the seventh inning, but could not secure the victory and the series sweep. Kelsey Gonzalez led off the inning with a single, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Kalyn Harker. Michelle Glenn reached on a bunt single, putting runners on first and third for Jayna Spivey, the Salukis' all-time RBI leader. Spivey lined the second pitch she saw to the fence in right center field, plating both runs and salvaging game three for SIU.
Laura Canopy hit her second home run of the weekend for the Redbirds in defeat, and reached base three times. Jordan de los Reyes and Kolby Hoffman both went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Kara Repp extended her team-best on-base streak to 20 games with a walk, but saw her nine-game hitting streak come to an end.
Regan Romshek (LP, 9-11) threw all 6.1 innings for ISU. The sophomore surrendered five runs on eight hits, while striking out four and walking three. She did not allow any runs between the first and seventh innings, but surrendered three in the first and two in the seventh to be pinned with the loss.
The Redbirds and Salukis combined to score four runs in the first inning. ISU jumped out to a 1-0 lead when de los Reyes singled home Canopy, before Spivey gave SIU its first lead of the series with a three-run homer in the bottom half. In the second, Canopy's two-run blast, her fifth of the season, evened the contest at 3-3. From there, both Romshek and Saluki starter Katie Bertelsen (WP, 9-6) settled down, as neither team scored for the next three and a half innings.
ISU broke the tie with a lone tally in the top of the sixth. De los Reyes led off the inning with a single, and was replaced at first by pinch runner Molly Cull. With two outs and Cull still at first, Kelsey Turczyn was hit by a pitch and Repp walked to load the bases for Hoffman. After falling behind 0-2, Hoffman lined a single to left that brought home Cull and gave ISU the lead. Turczyn was thrown out at the plate on the play to end the inning.
Next up for the Redbirds is their final non-conference game of the season. ISU will host DePaul, Wednesday at 5 p.m.
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