KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Illinois State softball team (2-2) opened the Tennessee Invitational on Thursday with an 8-3 win over UT Martin (5-1), handing the Skyhawks their first loss of the season. Mack Leonard grabbed her first win of the season in the circle, while two Redbirds – Reili Gardner and Spenser Strandgard – were perfect at the plate.
BIRD BITS
Top Offensive Players:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS
- Leonard kick-started Illinois State's offense in the first at-bat of the game, knocking a triple to left center field, before recording an RBI double in the second frame to send Gardner and Strandgard charging across home plate for an early 2-0 lead.
- The Redbirds continued to attack offensively in the second inning, as an error by the Skyhawks at first placed Kaili Chval on-base. Emme Olson launched ISU's first home run of the season – a three-run shot – over the right field wall to give the Redbirds a five-run advantage.
- UT Martin responded in the fourth inning, lifting a lead-off homer over the wall, but a trio of singles from Strandgard, Gardner and Chval pushed the Redbirds back out by six.
- The Skyhawks used two hits to score two runs in the top of the fifth, as Morgan Day took over in relief of Leonard in the circle, striking out the first batter she faced to help Illinois State escape the inning.
- Madi Bylak drew a walk to begin the home-half of the fifth, before a sac fly to centerfield by Chval pushed the freshman across home for an 8-3 lead.
- Day struck out the side in the sixth, and fanned two more Skyhawks in the seventh, to finish the game with six strikeouts in just seven batters faced.
ON DECK
Illinois State will continue the Tennessee Invitational on Friday with a doubleheader against UT Martin and Northern Kentucky, before wrapping up tournament play on Saturday against Central Michigan.
To view ISU's full schedule, visit GoRedbirds.com. Game times, dates, opponents and locations are subject to change.
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.
