MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Illinois State softball team (11-4) used complete game efforts in the circle by Morgan Day and Mack Leonard, as the duo grabbed a pair of 1-0 victories on Saturday against Middle Tennessee and Dayton, respectively.
With the Redbirds' pair of wins, Illinois State has advanced to Sunday's championship game of the MTSU Invitational and will face North Dakota State at 12:30 p.m. CT.
BIRD BITS – Game 1 at Middle Tennessee (W, 1-0)
Top Offensive Player:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS – Game 1 at Middle Tennessee (W, 1-0)
- Aside from a pair of singles from Kaili Chval and Emme Olson in the opening frame, it was a pitcher's duel between senior Morgan Day and Blue Raider Jaya Herring.
- Day gave up a pair of hits to Middle Tennessee in the bottom of the third, but a ground out to Spenser Strandgard at first base left the runners stranded. The senior right-hander would allow just two more hits in her complete game outing.
- A lead-off double delivered by Olson in the top of the seventh placed the junior in scoring position, before a sac bunt by Dayna Kennedy put Olson on third base. A passed ball by the Blue Raider catcher helped the Redbirds jump on the board, while a Day's seventh and final strikeout sealed the win.
BIRD BITS – Game 2 vs. Dayton (W, 1-0)
Top Offensive Players:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS – Game 2 vs. Dayton (W, 1-0)
- Illinois State's second game of the day mirrored the first, as Mack Leonard allowed just two hits – one in each of the first two frames – and Dayton's pitching duo each gave up one hit apiece.
- It wasn't until the bottom of the sixth inning that Kaili Chval registered ISU's first hit of the game, after drawing a pair of walks in the first and third.
- In the first at-bat in the home half of the seventh, rookie Jayden Standish blasted a home run down the left field line to walk it off for the Redbirds.
ON DECK
Live stats will be available for fans to follow the Redbirds' clash with the Bison at approximately 12:30 p.m. tomorrow.
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.
