BATON ROUGE, La. – Sophomore Morgan Day and the Illinois State softball team gave up just two hits to Stephen F. Austin in its opening game of the Purple & Gold Challenge on Friday, as the right-hander tossed her first complete game shutout of the season, helping Illinois State secure the 6-0 victory. The Redbirds returned to the field 30 minutes later to take on USC Upstate, falling 3-0 to the Spartans.
BIRD BITS VS. SFA (W, 6-0)
Top Performers:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS VS. SFA (W, 6-0)
- Starting pitcher Morgan Day recorded her first strikeout of the game to close the first inning, leaving a pair of SFA runners on base, before adding two more strikeouts in the second inning.
- Alyssa Wiebel registered the first hit of the game for either side in the top of the second and stole her second base of the season.
- Riley Hale doubled to left center field, before freshman Emme Olson launched a two-run shot over the center field wall for her team-leading fourth home run of the season to give ISU a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
- Wiebel made a diving catch in center field to keep goose eggs on the board for SFA through four innings of play.
- Ellie Weltha drew a lead-off walk in the top of the fifth, before a two-out single by Shannon Felde brought pinch runner Michele Calabrese across home plate to extend ISU's lead.
- SFA registered its first hit in the bottom of the fifth inning, before recording its second and final hit of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
- Pinch hitter Kenzie Pence singled, while Shannon Felde followed with a walk, to force a SFA pitching change in the top of the seventh with one out. A double down the left field line by Andrea Coursey unloaded the bases, pushing ISU out to a 6-0 advantage.
- With a pair of Ladyjack runners on base, Day got out of the jam for her first complete game shutout of the season.
BIRD BITS VS. USC UPSTATE (L, 0-3)
Top Performers:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS VS. USC UPSTATE (L, 0-3)
- Andrea Coursey knocked ISU's first of three hits in the game to left field in the top of the first inning, before USC Upstate took an early 2-0 lead over the Redbirds off of four hits in the bottom of the opening frame.
- With the first batter faced in the bottom of the fourth, starting pitcher Ali Domkuski matched a season-high four strikeouts.
- Two Redbirds – Ellie Weltha and Taylor Vanderpool – each registered a hit in the top of the fifth, before the Spartans responded with their third run of the game in the bottom of the inning.
- Morgan Day checked into the circle in relief, keeping USC Upstate off base for the remainder of the game, as the Redbirds fell 3-0.
ON DECK
Illinois State will continue the Purple & Gold Challenge, hosted by LSU, tomorrow with a pair of games against two nationally-ranked opponents in Indiana and LSU. First pitch versus the Hoosiers is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, while the Redbirds and Tigers are set to square off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
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