TAMPA, Fla. – Illinois State had a big opportunity on the final day of the USF-Rawlings Tournament on Saturday, as the Redbirds squared off against No. 22 ranked Michigan in the tournament finale for ISU. The nationally-ranked Wolverines lived up to their hype, as they came away with a 4-0 shutout win over the Redbirds (1-4) at the USF Softball Stadium.
BIRDS BITSÂ
Offensive Highlights:Â
Delainey Bryant: 1-for-3
Bella Atkinson: 1-for-2
Pitching Breakdown:
Paige McLeod (L, 0-2): 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Hannah Meshnick: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB
HOW IT HAPPENED
Michigan jumped out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning and added two more in the top of the third to take a 3-0 lead at the time. They would add one more run in the top of the seventh to bring the score to 4-0, which is where the score would stay as Wolverine pitching allowed just two hits to the Redbirds on the day.
ON DECK
Illinois State will head to Mexico for its next tournament to compete in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge from Feb. 13-15 at Nancy Almaraz Field. The Redbirds will open the tournament with a Thursday game against BYU, followed by a split doubleheader on Friday against Florida International and Indiana. They will then wrap things up on Saturday against North Dakota State to cap off the weekend.
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: Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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