NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team (18-4, 5-0 MVC) nearly saw its win streak come to an end in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday evening, but a five-run seventh inning propelled the Redbirds to a series sweep of Loyola (5-15, 1-4 MVC), after opening the day with a 7-4 victory over the Ramblers.
BIRD BITS – Game 1 (W, 7-4)
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Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS – Game 1 (W, 7-4)
- Loyola scratched a run on the board in the opening frame on a miscommunication and throwing error by ISU before the game was halted on Saturday afternoon due to weather.
- Nearly 24 hours later, the game resumed, and Morgan Day picked up where she left off, striking out the side in the third.
- In the home half of the inning, Mack Leonard launched a one-out homer over the right center field wall to knot the score, before a sac fly to left field by Dayna Kennedy sent Kaili Chval charging home for a 2-1 advantage.
- The Ramblers responded with a lead-off home run in the top of the fourth.
- Back-to-back RBI doubles delivered by Kennedy and Jayden Standish helped the Redbirds break open scoring in the fifth, before ISU extended its lead in the sixth with Leonard's second long ball of the game.
- Loyola rallied with a two-RBI bomb in the seventh, but Day and the Redbirds locked down defensively to grab the 7-4 win.
BIRD BITS – Game 2 (W, 5-4)
Top Offensive Players:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS – Game 2 (W, 5-4)
- The Ramblers jumped on the board in the first inning of the second game and extended their lead in the fourth by scoring three runs on three hits and an ISU error.
- Day returned to the circle for her second outing of the series and shut down Loyola, fanning three in the top of the fifth and two more in the sixth.
- A lead-off double by Chloe Jefferson set the tone in the final frame, as the Redbirds juiced the bases with no outs. Leonard was intentionally walked, bringing home her teammate, before an RBI single from Kaili Chval in the next at-bat kept the bases loaded and brought ISU within two.
- Two more Redbird runners came charging home, as a double delivered by Emme Olson knot the score at four-all. Illinois State's momentum continued in the next at-bat with an RBI single up the middle by Kennedy, who sealed the walk-off win, 5-4.
ON DECK
Illinois State will hit the road and continue Missouri Valley Conference play at Drake, April 2-3.
To view ISU's full schedule and find ways to follow the Redbirds, 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.
