VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Illinois State softball team (31-9, 17-5 MVC) wrapped up the regular season on Saturday with a 7-1 victory over Valparaiso (5-34, 1-23 MVC) to claim the program's 14th Missouri Valley Conference title and 12th under the direction of head coach Melinda Fischer.
BIRD BITS
Top Offensive Players:
Pitching Breakdown:
BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS
- Morgan Day and the Redbird defense worked 1-2-3 innings in the opening two frames, before a three-run shot down the left field line by Andrea Coursey helped Illinois State jump on the board in the third. In the next at-bat, Spenser Strandgard lifted the ball over the fence to force Valpo to make a pitching change.
- Valparaiso responded with an RBI single up the middle – its first hit of the game – in the home half of the fourth.
- A sac fly in foul territory by Kaili Chval helped the Redbirds jump back out to a four-run advantage in the top of the sixth, before a two-RBI double from Emme Olson extended ISU's lead.
- Valpo recorded its second hit in the final frame, but a pop up to Day in the infield sealed the 7-1 win for the Redbirds and regular season title.
ON DECK
Illinois State will travel to Evansville, Indiana, as the No. 1 seed for the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship, May 12-15. The Redbirds have an automatic bye to the tournament's semifinal round on Friday, May 14 and will play at 11 a.m.
RAISE THE BANNER
Fans interested in supporting the championship culture of Redbird Softball can join the Extra Innings Club.
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.
