EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Illinois State softball team completed the series sweep of Evansville for the third-straight season in a 16-8 six-inning slugfest on Sunday to start the Missouri Valley Conference slate with an untouched 3-0 record.
Allison Spence's grand slam in the fifth inning marked the third of the season for the Redbirds and third home run of the game. The last time ISU scored at least 16 runs was in a victory versus Delaware back in 2017, as the Redbirds finished the series with 35 total runs.
BIRD BITS AT EVANSVILLE (W, 16-8 in six innings)
Top Performers:
- Emme Olson: 1-for-2, 4 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, HR
- Allison Spence: 2-for-2, 2 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, grand slam
- Ellie Weltha: 3-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, HR
- Alyssa Wiebel: 3-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS AT EVANSVILLE (W, 16-8 in six innings)
- Freshman Emme Olson launched her second home run of the weekend and team-leading sixth long ball of 2019 over the right field wall in the top of the first, bringing Shannon Felde home with her, to help ISU grab an early 2-0 lead.
- After Allison Spence drew a walk in the opening frame, Ellie Weltha followed with ISU's second homer of the game, pushing the Redbirds out to a 4-0 advantage.
- Evansville responded in the home half of the inning, scratching four runs across to level the game at four-all, before taking its first lead of the game with a 6-4 advantage at the end of the second.
- Brittni LaFountaine helped ISU level the game at six-all in the top of the third with a single dropped into center field, pushing Weltha and Alyssa Wiebel across home plate.
- The Purple Aces knocked a single down the left field line to help Evansville regain a one-run lead over ISU.
- The slugfest continued in the top of the fourth, as Wiebel's second single of the game and a ground out pushed a trio of runners home to help the Redbirds to a 9-7 advantage.
- In the top of the fifth, Spence blasted ISU's third grand slam of the season and third homer of the game over the left center field wall to give ISU a six-run cushion.
- Evansville got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, as an ISU passed ball brought the Purple Aces within eight, before Morgan Day's fifth strikeout in relief closed the inning.
- After Spence was drilled by a pitch, Weltha singled up the middle to bring two more runners home to make it a 16-8 lead in the top of the sixth, as the Redbirds completed their second run-rule of the weekend.
ON DECK
Illinois State is set to host Big Ten opponent Iowa in its home opener on Wednesday at 5 p.m., before continuing MVC play at Indiana State next weekend.
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