WICHITA, Kan. – Illinois State softball's run in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament came to a close Friday with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Missouri State in Wichita, Kansas. The semifinal loss knocks ISU out of the tournament and ends its season at 25-31.
The only run ISU had came in the top of the first inning when Jordan de los Reyes sent a towering drive out to left-centerfield for her 18th home run of the season. It was the second of the weekend for De los Reyes and it was the first run ISU had scored against Missouri State this season.
What followed after the home run was a pitchers' duel between Regan Romshek and MSU's Erin Struemph. Romshek posted zeroes through the first four innings, allowing just two hits in the process. She avoided trouble in the fourth as MSU put runners on second and third with one out. However, Romshek got a ground out and a fly out to end the frame and keep ISU in the lead.
Struemph was dominant after the first inning home run. She allowed just three baserunners from the second-fifth innings and no Redbird made it past second base in that stretch.
In the bottom of the fifth, MSU finally got to Romshek as Mary Stephens blasted a two-run home run over the scoreboard in leftfield to give Missouri State the lead. Later in the inning, Chelsea Jones doubled and drove in another run for the Bears.
Trailing 3-1 in the top of the sixth, ISU mounted a rally. Romshek led off with a single and De los Reyes followed with a walk. Kaitlyn Knary was then entered to pinch-run for De los Reyes at first. Stephanie Gallant laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position with one out.
After the second out was made, the umpires came together and ruled that ISU had made an illegal substitution when they entered Knary to pinch run for De los Reyes. The umpires ruled that ISU had actually officially entered Caitlyn Daly. The illegal substitution resulted in an out and ended the inning and the rally.
In the seventh, Kara Repp reached on a walk, but the next three batters made outs and the game came to a close. ISU ends the season 25-31.
Romshek took the loss to end the year 15-18 and she went six innings, giving up seven hits and three earned runs while striking out four and walking one.
Five different Redbirds recorded a hit in the contest, but it was not enough. Missouri State advances to play Indiana State in Saturday's tournament championship.
ISU had six players named to MVC All-Conference teams. Annie Heineman and Gallant were named to the All-MVC First Team while De los Reyes, Romshek and Riley Strandgard were named to the All-MVC Second Team. Kelsey Turczyn earned a spot on the MVC All-Defensive Team for her play in the outfield this season.
The Redbirds won 16 games against Valley opponents, including two in the MVC Tournament. ISU's final win of the season was also Melinda Fischer's 1,000th career win and she became just the 18th Division I coach to accomplish the feat.
Heineman ends the season as ISU's top hitter with a .356 batting average while Romshek led the team in pitching wins with 15. The Redbirds will graduate five seniors from this year's team, but will return their top four hitters in terms of batting average.
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