CHICAGO – The Illinois State softball team trailed by four runs heading into the sixth inning, before the Redbirds stormed back and scored a pair of runs in the sixth and the seventh to play their first extra-inning contest of the season at DePaul on Tuesday night.
The Blue Demons fought off the Redbird rally, securing the 6-5 walk-off win with a double to left field in the bottom of the ninth.
BIRD BITS AT DEPAUL (L, 6-5 in 9 inn.)
Top Performers:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS AT DEPAUL (L, 6-5 in 9 inn.)
- DePaul jumped on the board in the opening inning with a two-run homer over the center field wall, before ISU turned its 15th double play of the season to help the Redbirds get out of the inning.
- A hard-hit single knocked into right field by Riley Hale drove Taylor Vanderpool across home plate to cut into the Blue Demons' lead in the top of the third.
- The Blue Demons hit a lead-off homer over the left field wall in the bottom of the fourth to hold a 3-1 advantage through four innings of play.
- A two-out double to left field by DePaul extended the Blue Demons' lead to four runs in the bottom of the fifth.
- The Redbirds responded with a two-out double of their own in the top of the sixth, as the two-RBI hit by Anni Borries sent Allison Spence and Andrea Coursey charging across home plate, as ISU trailed 5-3 going into the home half of the inning.
- Back-to-back wild pitches by DePaul brought Shannon Felde across home plate to make it a 5-4 game, before a walk issued to Spence brought a new pitcher to the circle with one out in the top of the seventh. A sac fly to left field by Ellie Weltha brought Hale home to knot the game at five-all.
- A strikeout delivered by Morgan Day in the seventh slammed the door on the frame to send the Blue Demons down in order for the first time in the game and to send ISU to its first extra-inning contest of the season.
- The Blue Demons escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth, before knocking a RBI double into left field to secure the 6-5 walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth.
ON DECK
Illinois State will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend for its first Missouri Valley Conference series on the road since March 23-24 to face the Drake Bulldogs on April 19-20.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB) and Instagram (@redbirdsoftball).
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