TEMPE, Ariz. – The Illinois State softball team (2-5) opened the Arizona State Littlewood Classic on Friday with a pair of contests against Texas State (3-3) and San Diego (5-2). After the Redbirds' comeback fell short against the Bobcats, Illinois State bounced back with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Toreros.
GAME ONE
Freshman pitcher Morgan Day took the circle for her second collegiate start in game one of the Littlewood Classic on Friday, pitching the entirety of Illinois State's 2-1 setback.
"Our game against Texas State was a good ball game," ISU head coach Melinda Fischer commented. "Their pitcher really dominated us, but I also thought Morgan (Day) pitched a great game for us as well. We had a hard time generating offense and they continued to make defensive plays throughout the game that made it hard for us to start our offense."
Texas State's ArieAnn Bell opened up scoring with a lead-off homer to start the second inning. The Bobcats followed with a single up the middle, but the Redbirds turned a 6-4-3 double play to keep Texas State contained.
The Redbirds were sent down in order for three straight innings, before Shannon Felde was issued a walk to start the fourth. A sac bunt by Riley Hale pushed the junior to second base, but she would be left stranded.
Illinois State's first hit of the game – spoiling Bobcat pitcher Randi Rupp's potential no-hitter – came from Felde, who with two outs, bombed one over the centerfield wall to knot the game at one-all at the top of the sixth. In the bottom half of the inning, a sac fly to center field helped the Bobcats take a one-run lead. Texas State put the Redbirds down in order in the top of the seventh to spoil Illinois State's comeback and to secure the 2-1 win.
GAME TWO
Illinois State's bats came alive in its second game of the day against San Diego. The Redbirds finished with four runs on six hits and no errors. Junior Allison Spence finished the day going a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate, with two RBI and a home run. Pitcher Sarah Finck threw her first complete game of the season, giving up just four hits while fanning two.
"The best part of today is that we bounced back," Fischer shared. "Anni (Borries) stepped up and got a big hit for us, while Allison (Spence) gave us a big home run."
After three scoreless innings by both teams, the Redbirds made some noise in the bottom of the fourth. Spence hit a lead-off double to center field. In the next at-bat, infielder Riley Strandgard reached first base on a throwing error by San Diego's shortstop. A sac bunt by Alex Caliva moved the runners into scoring position, before a double to left center by Anni Borries sent the pair of Redbirds home to put Illinois State up 2-0.
Illinois State continued its offensive momentum in the bottom of the fifth, as a two-run home run by Spence with two outs gave the Redbirds a four-run cushion. Strandgard followed with single to second base, and Caliva was hit by a pitch, forcing the Toreros to make a pitching substitution. The change didn't faze the Redbirds, as the duo pulled the double steal and Borries walked to load the bases, but all three would be left on base to close the frame.
Finck and the Illinois State defense continued to stand firm, as the senior pitcher allowed just two hits in the remaining two innings to help the Redbirds to its first shutout victory of the season.
"This is all a part of the learning process and we will need to compete well against San Diego again tomorrow," Fischer said. "Sometimes it can be difficult to play teams back-to-back. We will need to be better prepared tomorrow than we were today."
Illinois State will face San Diego again tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. before taking on tournament host No. 18 Arizona State at 5:45 p.m.
"Arizona State is a ranked team and always a tough competitor," Fischer concluded. "We just have to see what we can do to stay in the ball game and stay focused."
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