EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In a game that started after an hour weather delay and saw the first inning halted with a second delay, the Illinois State Redbirds (27-21, 16-7 MVC) jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back in a 7-3 win in the series finale against the Evansville Aces (22-28, 8-16 MVC), securing the fifth MVC series win of the season for ISU.
BIRDS BITS
Offensive Highlights:Â
Dayna Kennedy, 3-for-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR
Brandi LaFountaine, 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, HR
Abby Knight, 2-for-3, 2 R
Hanna Hicks, 1-for-3
Kaili Chval, 1-for-4
Pitching Breakdown:
Hannah Ross, 4.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
Amanda Fox, 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Hannah Meshnick, 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite neither team scoring in the first inning the Aces put a threat together putting two runners on base but came up empty in a weather-delay riddled first inning.
ISU wasted little time to reach the scoreboard in the second inning as Abby Knight hit a leadoff single, and after advancing to second on a wild pitch she was moved over another base on a groundout. Dayna Kennedy followed with a first-pitch RBI double to score Knight, and two batters later was chased home on a Brandi LaFountaine two-run home run to give the Redbirds a 3-0 lead, one that the visitors would not give up for the remainder of the contest.
Evansville threatened in the third inning, loading the bases with two outs; however, a groundout ended the threat inning the inning.
Knight was once against a catalyst to a run-scoring inning for the Redbirds as she opened the fourth with a walk and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jayden Standish. Knight then advanced 60 feet on a wild pitch before coming around to score on a Kennedy one-out single. Pinch runner Emma Hicks advanced to second on a groundout and then came around to score ISU's fifth run of the game on a fielding error by the Aces shortstop, staking ISU to a 5-0 lead.
The Aces reached the scoreboard for the first time in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run home run from Alexa Davis to snap the shutout attempt.
The Redbirds got the two runs back in the top of the sixth inning when Kennedy hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season, scoring herself and pinch runner Abby Horton and putting the visitors ahead 7-2 on the scoreboard.
Evansville cut into the deficit with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the hosts loaded the bases with two outs in the inning but could not strike again as the Redbirds held onto a 7-3 advantage. An inning later the Aces got a pair of infield singles off the gloves of Redbird fielders but could not stretch across a run securing the Redbird win.
ON DECK
The Redbirds host the Southern Illinois Salukis in the 2023 regular season, as ISU looks to secure a first-round bye in the upcoming MVC Championship starting the following weekend.
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