COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Illinois State softball team split a pair of games Friday at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The Redbirds defeated Texas-San Antonio before falling to the host Aggies in the nightcap.
ISU opened the day in style, defeating UTSA 7-0 behind a total team effort. Putting everything together has been a struggle for ISU this season, but against the Roadrunners the pitching from Regan Romshek was great and the offense gave her more than enough support.
Romshek's only real trouble in the circle came in the top of the first when UTSA loaded the bases. Romshek would get out of it though, and her offense scored a run in the bottom of the frame. ISU then added three more in the second, highlighted by a Payton Billups two-RBI double off the left field wall.
Romshek continued to cruise in the circle and in the fourth inning the Redbirds scored two more runs on a Stephanie Gallant two-RBI single. ISU added one more in the sixth and it was plenty of insurance for Romshek.
The junior tied her season-high with eight strikeouts and picked up her sixth win of the season. She scattered three hits and walked three.
ISU tallied eight hits on the day with Billups, Gallant and Jordan de los Reyes all recording two. Annie Heineman and Lindsey Greene also added one.
The nightcap against No. 22 Texas A&M didn't go the same way, as the Aggies jumped all over ISU from the get-go. The Redbirds went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first and A&M responded with six runs in the bottom of the frame.
The Aggies chased McKensie Vissering in the first inning and she took the loss to fall to 1-6 this season. Sarah Finck made her debut in relief, but no matter who was pitching or hitting, A&M produced.
The Aggies scored nine more runs in the fourth inning and defeated ISU 16-1. 10 different Aggies recorded a hit, and they tallied 13 as a team.
ISU's only run came in the fifth inning when Riley Strandgard's pinch-hit single drove in Billups. The Redbirds recorded three hits with Heineman and Gallant adding the other two.
ISU is now 7-10 on the season and will face both UTSA and Texas A&M Saturday. First pitch against UTSA is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. with the game against A&M immediately after. A live audio broadcast of both contests will be carried on GoRedbirds.com.
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