NORMAL, Ill. – Despite home runs by Alex Caliva and Jordan de los Reyes, Illinois State dropped a pair of games to Northern Iowa on Saturday afternoon at Marian Kneer Stadium.
After four scoreless innings, the Panthers plated seven runs that the Redbirds were unable to come back from, even with the Caliva home run in the bottom of the seventh that finalized the score at 11-1. In game two, de los Reyes sent her 19th home run of the season to left in the first inning, but UNI quickly responded with three runs and ultimately, the 8-2 win.
Both Riley Hale and Allison Spence had multi-hit games, in the first and second contests, respectively. The Panthers' Bailey Kennedy and Macey Wolfe led the visitors with seven and three RBI in games one and two, respectively.Â
With the doubleheader in the books, the Illinois State dips to 30-19 overall, 20-5 in conference while Northern Iowa sits one game back at 19-6 in the league standings, 31-18 on the season.
Already with a share of the conference title, the Redbirds will look to win it outright on Sunday at 11 a.m. on Senior Day at Marian Kneer Stadium.
Game One: L, 11-1
The Redbirds started off with a 1-2-3 inning in the top off the first, capped off by a diving catch in center by Annie Heineman. The Redbirds quickly got to work in the bottom of the inning as Shannon Felde knocked a single up the middle. A pair of walks loaded the bases but the runners were left on to set the tone for the game as the Redbirds would leave 10 on base by the end..
In the fourth inning, the Panthers capitalized on four hits, including a Kennedy Bailey gone-ball to take a seven-run lead.
Hale and Heineman record hits in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively but Redbirds could not convert.
Bailey solidified the win for the Panthers with her second home run of the game for a 10-run lead in the top of the seventh.
Caliva responded for the Redbirds, rocketing the team's lone run with a gone-ball to center in the bottom of the seventh. Felde and Spence followed up the homer with singles but they were not enough to come back.
Sarah Finck took the loss in 4.1 innings as Morgan Christner closing out the remaining 2.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts. UNI's Jaclyn Spence earned the complete game win.
Game Two: L, 8-2
Hoping to set the tone early, de los Reyes slugged her 19th home run of the season to tie the Illinois State single-season record in the top of the first inning.
However, the Panthers answered back with three runs on a double and a Sammey Bunch home run in the second. A sac-fly in the third and an Alyssa Buchanan solo shot in the fourth upped the Panthers' total to five.
Spence sent an RBI-double to left, scoring Taylor Vanderpool from first to cut the Redbirds' deficit to three in the sixth.
The Panthers answered back with three runs on one hit and a trio of Redbird miscues, taking an 8-2 lead. Illinois State made contact in the bottom of the seventh, but it was not enough to spark a comeback.
Ali Domkuski tossed her fourth complete game of the season in the loss while UNI's Buchanan earned the win.
The Redbirds conclude the series versus the Panthers on Sunday at 11 a.m. Up next, Illinois State Illinois State will serve as host to the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship May 11 to 13 at Marian Kneer Stadium. To purchase tickets visit GoRedbirds.com/tickets, call (309) 438-8000, or visit the Illinois State Athletics Ticket Office at the north entrance of Redbird Arena. Tickets can also be purchased at the gates of Marian Kneer Stadium on game day.
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