Redbirds Return To Peoria For Second Game of Midweek Series

NORMAL, Ill. – A week after traveling west on I-74 to take on Bradley, the Illinois State softball team will hit the road once again on Tuesday and head to Peoria to take on the Braves in the second of three midweek games that will make up the 2025 travel partner series between the two squads. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. at OSF Healthcare Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

THE SERIES
Illinois State and Bradley will face off for the 109th time on Tuesday, as ISU leads the all-time series between the two programs, 81-27. Illinois State leads the softball 1-74 rivalry by a wide margin of 54 wins and swept the Braves in three contests in 2024. The Birds the first game of this year's series by a score of 6-3 last Tuesday, thanks to a three-run double in the top of the seventh inning off the bat of senior catcher Bella Wilkerson.

SCOUTING THE BRAVES
•    Bradley (16-18, 6-4 MVC) continued its strong stretch of Missouri Valley Conference play this past weekend, claiming a road series win over Northern Iowa by taking two of three games. 
•    The Braves picked up their third series win in the last four weekends and have six wins in their last nine games overall.
•    In Valley play, Bradley boasts a .276 batting average and .377 slugging percentage, compared to their overall marks of .242 and .347. The Braves have scored 50 runs in 10 conference games and committed only five errors during that stretch. 
•    Sydney Kennedy now ranks among the league's best with a 2.36 ERA and .229 opponent batting average across 124.2 innings. 
•    Ashley Breeding (.438 SLG, 18 RBI, 4 HR) continues to provide power in the middle of the order for the Braves, while Oliva Turner (.286 AVG, 12 RBI) and Kierston McCoy (.320 AVG, 5 HR, 21 RBI) give the lineup some depth.

REDBIRD NEWS & NOTES
•    Illinois State (10-23) went 3-0 in MVC play last week, with a Tuesday win against Bradly in Peoria and then a doubleheader sweep of UIC on Friday to improve to 4-5 in league play. Saturday's game with UIC was halted due to rain in the top of the fifth inning and will be resumed on April 30 in Normal.
•    It was a week full of bit hits for the Birds, as a three-run double by Wilkerson on Tuesday lifted the Redbirds to a win over Bradley. Then, in game one against UIC on Friday, Delainey Bryant led the game off with her team-leading fourth home run of the season and later in the game, Lexie Griffin added a grand slam for her first homer as a Redbird in an 11-3 run-rule win over the Flames. The final game saw the Redbird trail for most of the contest, before Ella Boyer blasted a grand slam over the left field wall to propel the Birds to a 5-2 win for the doubleheader sweep.
•    Abby Knight (.314 AVG, 8 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI) continues to lead the way for the Redbird offense, while Bryant (.274 AVG, 17 R, 4 HR, 10 RBI) has been steady in the leadoff spot for much of the year. The Redbirds have also received significant contributions from Addison Masching (.272, 28 H, 12 RBI) in the middle of the order.
•    Hannah Meshnick picked up a pair of wins for the Redbirds in the circle last week and improved her season record to 5-9 with a 3.21 ERA.
•    Illinois State features four standouts selected for the 2025 All-MVC preseason team in seniors Bryant and Wilkerson and sophomores Paige McLeod and Adisyn Hopkins. The four selections led all MVC programs.

For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball), and Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball).

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