BATON ROUGE, La. – The Illinois State softball team pulled off its first upset since the 2017 season on Saturday afternoon, blanking nationally-ranked Indiana to hand the Hoosiers just their second loss of the season.
The Redbirds returned to the field in the night cap to take on the tournament host Tigers, falling 6-2 in their comeback efforts. Illinois State's two runs scored match a series-high versus LSU.
BIRD BITS VS. NO. 16/15 INDIANA (W, 3-0)
Top Performers:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS VS. NO. 16/15 INDIANA (W, 3-0)
- Starting pitcher Morgan Day fanned the first three Hoosiers she faced in the opening frame to sit Indiana down in order.
- In the bottom of the inning, Shannon Felde and Riley Hale each tallied a hit to Indiana's shortstop, before a sac bunt by Emme Olson in the next at-bat moved the pair into scoring position. Andrea Coursey knocked a single to right field, bringing Felde across home plate for ISU's first run.
- ISU's bats stayed hot in the home half of the first, as Alyssa Wiebel knocked the Redbirds' fourth hit of the inning to center field to push ISU out to a 3-0 advantage and force a pitching change by the Hoosiers.
- Day fanned the first batter she faced in the top of the third to match a season-high four strikeouts, before registering her fifth strikeout to slam the door on the fourth inning, leaving two more IU runners in scoring position.
- The Hoosiers tallied their third hit in the top of the sixth, before lining into a 5-3 double play to keep ISU out in front, 3-0.
- Day recorded her season-high seventh strikeout to give the Redbirds the shut-out victory over IU, handing the Hoosiers just their second loss of the season.
- The sophomore right-hander's victory marked her second of the weekend, after going the distance in ISU's 3-0 win over Stephen F. Austin on Friday to open the Purple & Gold Challenge.
BIRD BITS AT NO. 10/9 LSU (L, 2-6)
Top Performers:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS AT NO. 10/9 LSU (L, 2-6)
- Shannon Felde, Alyssa Wiebel and Taylor Vanderpool drew walks in three-straight innings to get the Redbirds on base.
- LSU struck first, adding a run to the board in the bottom of the first on an error by ISU, before extending its advantage on a lead-off home run in the bottom of the second.
- Riley Hale grounded out to third base for the second out of the third inning, but Taylor Vanderpool charged home to cut into the Tigers' lead. LSU regained a two-run advantage in the home half of the inning with its second lead-off homer.
- The Tigers scratched three runs across in the bottom of the fifth, before relief pitcher Ali Domkuski fanned her third batter of the inning to escape the frame.
- Back-to-back dropped fly balls by LSU's left fielder placed a pair of Redbird runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh. Vanderpool drew her second walk of the game to juice the bases for ISU and force a pitching change by LSU with just one out.
- ISU scratched its second run across home plate on a fielder's choice to get Vanderpool out at second base, but the Tigers fought off the Redbirds' rally to hold on for a 6-2 win.
ON DECK
Illinois State wraps up the Purple & Gold Challenge tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. CT versus No. 16/15 Indiana.
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