SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Illinois State softball's Dayna Kennedy and Abby Knight have each earned a spot on the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team.
Kennedy, who started all three tournament games as the Redbirds' catcher, led Illinois State hitters in batting average during the Valley Championship. She had five hits, two home runs and two multi-hit contests. Already leading the team in home runs entering the tournament, Kennedy registered her first multi-home run game as she blasted two against Southern Illinois in the quarterfinal win. The junior from Decatur, Ill. was 2-for-3 against the Salukis with two home runs and her second four-RBI game of the season to help the Redbirds pull off the 8-7 win. The next game against the Bears, Kennedy was a perfect 3-for-3 with three singles. She ends the season with 12 home runs which is the most by a Redbird since Jordan de los Reyes in 2017 when she hit 19.
Also contributing to the big win over the Salukis was Knight, a freshman and Bloomington-native. A product of University High, Knight has played an important role all season for the Redbirds and started all three tournament games at first base. She had five hits across the three games, including a home run and a double, while driving in four runs and scoring five herself. Knight launched her fourth home run of the season, this one a solo shot to break the 6-6 tie in the top of the seventh against Southern Illinois. She had a two-RBI single against Indiana State to tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth before scoring the leading run later that inning. She also scored Illinois State's lone run against the Bears in the semifinal contest. As she recorded a hit in each game, Knight will end her season on a three-game hit streak andwill end the season as the team leader in RBI with 31 driven in.
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