BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Illinois State softball team (6-3) outscored its opponents 18-10 on Saturday in a pair of wins over Pitt (6-9) and FIU (5-10) in doubleheader action at the FAU Parents' Weekend Tournament.
The Redbirds opened the day with a 9-5 win over Pitt, before returning to the field 30 minutes later and securing the 9-3 victory against FIU, grabbing their third-straight win.
BIRD BITS – Game 1 vs. Pitt (W, 9-5)
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BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS – Game 1 vs. Pitt (W, 9-5)
- A pair of singles from Mack Leonard and Emme Olson broke open scoring in the first inning, as a hit up the middle from Olson brought Leonard charging across home plate.
- The Panthers responded in the bottom of the frame, before the Redbirds regained a one-run advantage in the second with an RBI single from Leonard that drove Michele Calabrese home.
- Pitt scratched a pair of runs across in the third, while both teams went scoreless in the fourth inning.
- Illinois State used three hits and a Pitt fielding error to score a pair of runs in the fifth, as a single to left field by Spenser Strandgard gave the Redbirds the go-ahead run.
- Two more hits and two more runs extended ISU's lead in the sixth, before the Redbirds jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the top of the seventh. Madi Bylak turned in an RBI single and Leonard registered her fourth hit, driving home the ninth Redbird of the game.
- The Panthers threatened in the home half of the inning, tacking a pair of runs on the board, but relief pitcher Morgan Day tossed her sixth strikeout to give Illinois State the 9-5 win.
BIRD BITS – Game 2 vs. FIU (W, 9-3)
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Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS – Game 2 vs. FIU (W, 9-3)
- Day returned in the circle in the Redbirds' second game of the doubleheader, earning the start and striking out three in the opening frame, despite a solo home run from FIU.
- Illinois State capitalized on a pair of errors by the Panthers in the bottom of the inning, scratching seven runs across on five hits, which included a 3-RBI triple from Leonard, for an early 7-1 lead.
- FIU added a pair of runs in the third, but Brittni LaFountaine delivered a double in the home half of the inning with just one out. A single and stolen base by Bylak moved her into scoring position with LaFountaine, before a single through the right side by Kaili Chval pushed Illinois State out in front, 9-3.
- The Panthers threatened in the top of the sixth with a pair of hits, but the Redbirds worked a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh to grab their third-straight win.
ON DECK
Illinois State will wrap up the FAU Parents' Weekend Tournament on Sunday with a pair of games against Coastal Carolina (8 a.m. CT) and the tournament host Owls (3 p.m. CT).
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.
