TEMPE, Ariz. – The Illinois State softball team (1-9) secured its first win of the season Sunday, taking down San Diego (2-8) 8-0 to close the Littlewood Classic. The Redbirds' run-rule victory marks the first of a nonconference opponent since 2017, when ISU beat Rutgers (3/11/17) in five innings, 13-2.
BIRD BITS
Top Performers:
- Ellie Weltha: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR
- Riley Hale: 1-for-1, R, RBI, 2 BB
- Taylor Vanderpool: 2-for-3, R, 3 RBI, HR
- Shannon Felde: 1-for-4, RBI – game-winning single to center field
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS
- Illinois State jumped on the board in the bottom of the second inning, taking an early 3-0 lead. Ellie Weltha and Riley Hale drew back-to-back walks, before Taylor Vanderpool knocked her second home run of the season over the left center field wall to bring her teammates across home plate.
- The Redbirds continued their offensive momentum in the bottom of the third, after a single by Anni Borries brought Alyssa Wiebel home from second base to help ISU to a 4-0 advantage.
- Weltha registered her first career hit – launching her first career home run – over the center field wall to lead off the home half of the fourth inning, pushing the Redbirds to a 5-0 lead.
- In the bottom of the fifth, back-to-back singles by Andrea Coursey and Wiebel put two on for ISU with no outs, before a sac bunt by Borries moved the pair into scoring position. Weltha reached first base on a San Diego error to bring Coursey home, while a walk issued to Hale loaded the bases. In the same play, a passed ball by the Torero catcher helped ISU scratch its seventh run across, before Felde's single to right field helped the Redbirds to a walk-off win.
- The last time ISU shutout a nonconference opponent was in 2018, when the Redbirds took down Purdue (3/4/18) at the LSU Tiger Invitational.
ON DECK
Illinois State will travel to Gainesville, Florida, next weekend to compete in the Bubly Invitational, hosted by the University of Florida. The Redbirds are set to take on Syracuse, the host Gators and Florida A&M in the five-game set.
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