NORMAL, Ill. – After falling in a midweek contest to Illinois, the Illinois State softball team will resume Missouri Valley Conference play Friday and Saturday with a three game series against Southern Illinois. Just one game separates the two teams in the MVC standings.
Illinois State has been on a hot streak in Valley play, winning its last five contests. The Redbirds swept Evansville last weekend and scored 34 runs in the process. The week prior, ISU defeated Indiana State in the final two games of the series by scoring 16 runs.
There has been no shortage of offense for the Redbirds in Valley play. ISU has outhit its opponents 92-73 and hit 21 home runs compared to opponents' 10. Against Valley pitchers the Redbirds are hitting .343.
Regan Romshek and Annie Heineman have been on a tear through the team's nine conference games. Romshek is hitting a team-high .536 with 14 runs scored, five runs and 13 RBIs. She has also drawn six walks and has an on-base percentage of .622.
Meanwhile, Heineman is batting .515 with a team-high 17 hits. From the leadoff position she has driven in nine runs and has stolen five bases. Heineman is right behind Romshek in on-base percentage at .568.
While the top two hitters in ISU's lineup have certainly done their part, six other players bat .300 or higher in conference play for the Redbirds. ISU's success throughout the lineup has led to a 75-44 advantage in runs scored.
In the circle, Sarah Finck is 5-0 against Valley competition and has a 2.97 earned run average.
The Redbirds enter the weekend 16-19 overall and 7-2 in the Valley. Southern Illinois is one game behind ISU at 6-3 in the conference.
The two teams open the series with a single game Friday at 4 p.m. They will then play a doubleheader at 12 and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. A live audio broadcast of all three games will be available on GoRedbirds.com and a live video broadcast is available through Redbird HD.tv.
In addition, all fans in attendance at Friday's game will receive a schedule magnet. On Saturday, the Redbirds will host Youth Softball Day. All kids are encouraged to wear their team jersey and the first 50 kids in attendance will receive an autographed team poster. Following the final game on Saturday, all kids are invited on the field to take a team picture with the Redbird softball team.
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