NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team (27-6, 13-2 MVC) turned in a pair of wins in a weather-shortened weekend at Evansville (19-19, 7-12 MVC) on Sunday, behind dominate pitching and power at the plate.
Senior Morgan Day eclipsed 200 strikeouts on the year, becoming just the fifth player in program history to do so in a single season, before the Redbirds turned in their third run rule of the season in game two of the twin bill.
BIRD BITS – Game 1 (W, 1-0)
Top Offensive Players:
Pitching Breakdown:
- Morgan Day: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K (fourth one-hitter of the season)
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS – Game 1 (W, 1-0)
- It was an all-out pitcher's duel in the opening game of the twin bill – despite Mack Leonard leading off with a single up the middle – as Morgan Day and the Redbird defense sat the Purple Aces down in order for the first three innings.
- Evansville tallied its first hit of the game in the fourth, but two more strikeouts for Day helped the senior reach her ninth double-digit performance of the season.
- Emme Olson recorded ISU's second hit of the game in the top of the sixth, before charging across home plate ahead of a tagout at third to help the Redbirds jump on the board.
- Day added another strikeout to her stat line in the bottom of the seventh, eclipsing 200 strikeouts on the year to become the fifth player in program history to surpass that figure in a single season.
BIRD BITS – Game 2 (W, 9-0 in 5 innings)
Top Offensive Players:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS – Game 2 (W, 9-0 in 5 innings)
- The Redbirds broke open scoring in the second game, capitalizing with two outs, as Andrea Coursey dropped an RBI single and Spenser Strandgard knocked a bases-clearing double in the gap to push ISU ahead, 3-0. Rookie Jayden Standish continued to provide power at the plate, lifting a home run over the left field wall before Evansville escaped the inning trailing by five.
- Mack Leonard launched a lead-off long ball in the top of the second inning, while a Kaili Chval doubled and crossed home plate to give the Redbirds a commanding 7-0 advantage.
- Freshman Reili Gardner lifted her first career homer over the centerfield wall to lead off the fourth, before a single by Leonard and back-to-back errors by the Purple Aces juiced the bases for Illinois State. An RBI double delivered by Coursey sent Leonard charging home for a nine-run cushion.
- Leonard made her way back to the circle and worked her way out of a jam in the fourth and the fifth with the help of ISU's defense, grabbing her 10th win of the season.
ON DECK
Illinois State will wrap up the three-game set with Bradley on the road Tuesday at 3 p.m., before returning home next weekend to host UNI for Senior Weekend. At this time, attendance is limited to player pass list only and not open to the general public.
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.
