BATON ROUGE, La. – The Illinois State softball team (6-11) took the No. 10 LSU Tigers (15-2) to 10 innings – the most the Tigers have played this season – in the Redbirds' third-consecutive extra-inning game to close play on Friday at the LSU Tiger Classic.
"Morgan (Day) did an amazing job for us in the circle," head softball coach Melinda Fischer shared. "As a freshman stepping into that situation, she mixed her locations, she mixed her speeds and did a really great job of keeping their batters off-balance. Abby (Turczyn) played outstanding defense for us. She had a few really great plays that helped us keep LSU off the board.
"Our whole refocus was to try and get back to the way we wanted to play this game that we have prepared for and I think that they really took that to heart today in both of our game. I just thought we battled, we fought and we showed a lot of true Redbird spirit tonight. We just need to stay true to our game, stay true to our plan in terms of what we want to accomplish as an entire unit and I feel like we did a lot of that today and that was good."
With two outs in the opening frame, first baseman Allison Spence was hit by a pitch to take Illinois State's first base of the game but couldn't make her way around the bases. Freshman Morgan Day got the starting call in the circle for the Redbirds, making it her second start against a ranked opponent this season. LSU was dealt a lead-off walk, but in the next at-bat, a Tiger lined into a 4-3 double play for two quick outs. Another pop-up to Abby Turczyn ended the first inning.
The Redbirds were sent down in order for four-straight innings behind the strength of LSU's starting pitcher. Day fanned her first Tiger of the game in the bottom of the third after the Tigers tallied their second hit of the game. The freshman pitcher continued to throw heat for the Redbirds, as she matched a career-high with her fourth strikeout of the game to end the fifth inning.
In the top of the sixth, Shannon Felde reached first base on an error by the LSU shortstop, bringing Riley Hale to the plate with two outs. The second pitch sent in hit the junior to put two Redbird runners on base, but the pair would be left stranded. Day resumed duties in the bottom of the frame for Illinois State. A one-out double put a duo of Tigers into scoring position. A pop-up bunt, combined with a 1-2-6 double play held the Tigers off the board.
Third baseman Riley Phipps was issued a two-out walk in the seventh – Illinois State's first free base of the game – but the senior was unable to make it off first. Day and the Redbird defense sent the Tigers down in order to send Illinois State to extra innings for the third-consecutive game.
A two-out single to left centerfield by Felde put LSU's potential no-hitter to a halt, but the junior lead-off batter for the Redbirds couldn't make it any further. In the bottom of the frame, Day put two Tigers away for a career-best six strikeouts to head to the ninth inning.
After the Redbirds were sent down in order, a pair of singles by the Tigers put pressure on Illinois State's defense. A ground out to Turczyn at second ended the inning, sending the game to the final inning.
Kori Mesecher was placed on second base as the international tiebreaker went into effect. A sac bunt by Phipps moved the Redbird to third base, but the junior would be left stranded going into the bottom of the 10th.
LSU loaded the bases with back-to-back walks before a single dumped to the shortstop brought home a Tiger runner to give LSU the 1-0 win over Illinois State.
The Redbirds will play a doubleheader against No. 23 McNeese State and Purdue Saturday morning beginning at 9:30 a.m. to continue action at the LSU Tiger Classic.
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