NORMAL, Ill. – On March 29, Illinois State and UIC were attempting to complete their three-game MVC series at Marian Kneer Stadium when heavy rain showers forced the game to be halted in the top of the fifth inning with score tied at 4-4. On Wednesday, the two teams completed that game 32 days later, as the Redbirds (21-28, 14-10 MVC) picked up a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the Flames (8-43, 4-20 MVC) by a score of 5-4 to secure the series sweep.
The MVC series sweep is the third for the Redbirds during conference play (Bradley, Valparaiso, UIC) and the Birds have now won seven of their last 10 games.
BIRDS BITS (vs. UIC)
Offensive Highlights:Â
Lexie Griffin: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Ella Boyer: 1-for-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI
Bella Atkinson: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 R
Pitching Breakdown:
Hannah Meshnick: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Hannah Meeks (W, 7-6): 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
HOW IT HAPPENED
After two scoreless innings to start the contest, UIC broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning with a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead. The Redbirds would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning to make the score 2-1, thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Boyer. As the rains started to come down heavier, UIC took a 4-1 lead on a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning which gave way to a messy bottom of the fourth inning for ISU. The Redbirds would score three runs without recording a hit to tie the game at 4-4, two of those runs coming on runners scoring from third on wild pitches. As action moved to the top of the fifth inning, the game was halted with a UIC runner on second base with one out and a 3-0 count on the batter due to the field conditions.
Fast forward 32 days later, the game was resumed Wednesday with Meeks back in the circle as she forced a ground out and a fly out to get out of the inning unscathed to start things off. The game would remain tied until the bottom of the sixth, when Tatum Wolford walked to lead off the inning and then scored on a double into the left center field gap by Griffin which gave the Redbirds a 5-4 lead. Meeks would then close out the game in the seventh to give the Redbirds the long-awaited victory and series sweep over the Flames.
ON DECK
The Redbirds will wrap up the regular season this weekend in Kentucky, when they square off against Murray State in a three-game MVC series beginning on Friday at 5 p.m.
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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