NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team is set to host its annual Pack the Pack night on Wednesday when it hosts I-74 rival and Missouri Valley Conference opponent Bradley. First pitch of the Redbirds' doubleheader versus the Braves is set for 3 p.m.
In an effort to help Redbird softball break the attendance record, the first 100 students will receive a ticket to cash in for a visor at the fifth-inning stretch of the first game. Additionally, the first 100 non-students in attendance will receive an ISU-branded PopSocket. Hot dogs will be on sale at the concession stand for $1, courtesy of Sodexo, and Alamo II will be on-site selling the latest Redbird apparel.
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois State holds a commanding 70-22 series advantage over Bradley, winning six of the last 10 outings against the Braves. ISU and Bradley split the doubleheader at Petersen Hotels Field and the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex last season, before the Braves took the series finale at Marian Kneer Stadium, 6-5. In a span of 32 games from the 2005 season to the 2015 slate, the Redbirds had only dropped four contests.
SCOUTING BRADLEY
Bradley enters Wednesday's doubleheader with a 19-15 overall record and 6-5 mark in the Valley. The Braves were riding a four-game win streak into this past weekend's series with Missouri State, after sweeping Loyola and taking a mid-week win over SIUE. The Bears edged the Braves in the first two games of this past weekend's series, before Bradley responded with a 2-0 shutout win over Missouri State to close the weekend. Bradley is led at the plate in Valley play by Allison Apke, who is batting .364 with 10 RBI and a .606 slugging percentage. In the circle, the Braves' Emma Jackson has a team-best 1.42 ERA and 2-1 record in conference games.
LAST TIME OUT
Shannon Felde and Emme Olson set the tone early for ISU in the series finale with UNI, drawing back-to-back walks to start the game. A single up the middle in the next at-bat by Allison Spence pushed the Redbirds out to an early 2-0 lead. UNI responded in the top of the third, pushing a run across, but Andrea Coursey's second homer of the season - a two-run shot over the left field wall - drove ISU out to a 4-1 advantage. The Panthers knocked a lead-off home run out of the park in the fourth inning, but the Redbirds responded with two more runs to hold a 6-2 lead going into the fifth. UNI pushed two across in the fifth, and one more in the sixth, but ISU held on for the 6-5 win to earn its first home victory of the season.
ON DECK
Illinois State will wrap up its eight-game home stand this weekend when Missouri State visits Marian Kneer Stadium. The Redbird softball program is bringing back the national runner-up squad from Illinois State for the 50-year reunion of the team's performance at the first-ever Women's College World Series (WCWS) in 1969. More information on the team and reunion can be found at GoRedbirds.com.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB) and Instagram (@redbirdsoftball).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
