NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team will travel to Valparaiso, Indiana, this weekend to take on the Crusaders in a three-game set to close out the 2019 regular season. A single game is set for Friday at 3 p.m., while the doubleheader finale is slated for a 12 p.m. first pitch on Saturday.
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois State holds the 3-2 series advantage over Valparaiso. Prior to the Crusaders joining the Valley for the 2018 season, the Redbirds had only faced Valparaiso one other season – 1995 – when Illinois State won a pair of contests at a neutral site.
SCOUTING VALPARAISO
Valparaiso enters this weekend's series with an overall record of 15-27 and a 4-19 mark in Valley play. The Crusaders are currently on a five-game losing skid, after falling to Evansville, Indiana State and Loyola. Valparaiso has secured conference wins over Bradley, Missouri State and a pair against the Sycamores. The Crusaders went 3-0 in their final three nonconference games, with victories over IUPUI, UIC and Western Michigan.
LAST TIME OUT
After falling 9-4 in the first game of a twin bill on Sunday, the Illinois State softball team bounced back for an 11-5 victory in game two against Loyola Chicago. Illinois State used six hits to score four unanswered runs in the bottom of the fifth inning of the first game, as Emme Olson's single up the middle sent the go-ahead run across home plate. Loyola capitalized on a pair of ISU errors by tacking on seven runs in the final two frames to hand the Redbirds a 9-4 loss. Illinois State scored eight runs in the first three innings of the second game to hold a 7-4 lead going into the fourth. Anni Borries launched her first career home run in the sixth inning to surge ISU ahead, 11-4, before grabbing the 11-5 victory.
ON DECK
The Redbirds will travel to Peoria, Illinois, for the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Championship, May 8-11. Illinois State is currently sitting in sixth place in the league standings heading into the weekend and can finish as high as fourth. For more information on the postseason tournament, please visit the league's championship central page.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB) and Instagram (@redbirdsoftball).
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