NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team (18-28, 9-10 MVC) battled back-and-forth with the Bradley Braves (18-25, 7-11 MVC) on Tuesday night, dropping a 6-5 heartbreaker to the visitors at Marian Kneer Stadium in the teams' rubber match game, after the two split last Thursday in Peoria, Illinois.
Bradley registered its first hit in the opening frame, but a pop up to Abby Turczyn at second base closed the top of the inning. Right fielder Riley Hale knocked a lead-off double into left center field. With two outs, a throwing error by Bradley kept Alyssa Wiebel on first base and allowed Hale to cross home plate to put Illinois State on the board. A second fielding error by the Braves put runners on the corners, before a single through the left side by Andrea Coursey gave the Redbirds a 2-0 lead going into the second inning.
Back-to-back two-out doubles by Bradley put the Braves on the board. In the bottom of the inning Turczyn reached first base on Bradley's third error of the game, before a single to right field by Shannon Felde pushed the pair into scoring position. A single to left field by Allison Spence brought the duo across home plate to give Illinois State a 4-1 lead.
In the third inning, Bradley took a base after a batter was hit by a pitch, but the Redbirds turned a 4-6-3 double play to close the top of the inning. The Braves responded in the bottom of the frame after Riley Strandgard drew a one-out walk, as a fielder's choice kept the Redbirds from moving into scoring position.
A lead-off home run by Bradley in the fourth brought the Braves within two of the Redbirds. Illinois State's starting pitcher Sarah Finck fanned her second Brave of the game to keep Bradley runners on base. In the bottom of the inning, Illinois State was sent down in order for the first time all game.
Bradley hit a one-out bunt and drew a walk to put the tying run on base in the top of the fifth. A two-out walk loaded the bases for the Braves, before a single to right field brought two runners home to knot the game at four-all. Illinois State responded in the home half of the inning, as Spence drew a one-out four-pitch walk. A fourth throwing error by Bradley, this time into the visitors' dugout, with two outs brought Spence across home plate to help Illinois State take a 5-4 lead.
Both sides sat each other down in the sixth inning, before a two-run home run over the left field wall by Bradley pushed the Braves ahead, 6-5. Hale connected with Brittni LaFountaine at the plate from right field to keep Bradley ahead by just one run going into the bottom of the seventh. Spence drew her second walk of the game, but Bradley held on for the 6-5 comeback win over the Redbirds.
Illinois State will make its final road trip of the regular season this weekend when it heads north to play UNI in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Redbirds and the Panthers are set to play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. with the series finale scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3.
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