NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State softball fell 9-2 Tuesday night in it's home opener against in-state rival Illinois. The Redbirds drop to 7-21 on the season, and 0-1 at Marian Kneer stadium.
Abby Knight led the way for the Redbirds, going 2-for-2 with one run scored. The only other hit in the game came from the pitcher of record, Hannah Meshnick. Meshnick went 4.1 innings on the mound, surrendering three earned runs, before being relieved by Paige McLeod who added one inning of work. Annie Volkers then came to the mound to finish out the contest.
'BIRD BITS
Offensive Highlights:
Pitching Breakdown:
- Hannah Meshnick: (L, 3-10) 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 22 BF
- Paige McLeod: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 BF
- Annie Volkers: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 1 K, 9 BF
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Redbirds and the Illini remained scoreless for four innings, until the top of the fifth when Illinois hit a two-run home run to get on the board. The Fighting Illini scored three runs in the fifth inning and exploded for six runs in the sixth inning to take the 9-0 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Redbirds fought back, narrowly avoiding the run rule, and plating two. Adisyn Hopkins led off the inning with a walk and was run for by Abby Horton. On a single to right from Abby Knight, Horton advanced to third, and the throw allowed Knight to move to second. The speed of Horton allowed for the 'Birds to plate one run on a passed ball, which advanced Knight to third. Knight would then score on a fielder's choice from Ella Boyer, by beating the throw to the plate.
Although the Redbirds put up a fight, the early deficit was too much to overcome and they would take the 9-2 loss.
UP NEXT
The Redbirds will play their second conference series this weekend, a home series against the Murray State Racers. The first game will take place Friday, Mar. 22 at 5:00 p.m. CT. The game will be exclusively broadcast on WZND radio. The second game on Saturday, Mar. 23 will also be exclusively broadcast on WZND radio, beginning at 2:00 p.m. CT. The final game of the series which will be aired on ESPN+ will begin at 12:00 p.m. CT.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball), and Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
