MURRAY, Ken. – In the third and deciding game in the series, seven innings was not enough for Illinois State and Murray State on Sunday in the final game of the regular season. With the game tied at 5-5 headed to the 11th inning, the Redbirds (23-29, 16-11 MVC) scored three runs to defeat the Racers (21-27, 11-16 MVC) and earn a series victory heading into the MVC Championship in Des Moines, Iowa.
BIRDS BITS (vs. Murray State)
Offensive Highlights:Â
Abby Knight: 2-for-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Addison Masching: 3-for-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Julia Larson: 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI
Lexie Griffin: 2-for-6, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Bella Wilkerson: 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Pitching Breakdown:
Hannah Meshnick (W, 12-10): 11.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
HOW IT HAPPENED
Murray State jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead with a quartet of runs in the bottom of the first inning and held that advantage until the top of the fifth inning, when the Redbirds scored three runs to cut the Racers lead to one at 4-3. Wilkerson drove in the first run of the game for ISU with a double and Knight followed with a two-run double to cut the deficit to one. The Redbirds then tied the game in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI double by Masching which made the score 4-4. It would stay tied until the 10th inning, when Masching doubled in a run again to give ISU a 5-4 advantage.Â
However, Murray State would get a run in the bottom half of the inning to tied it at 5-5 and send the game to the 11th inning. That's when the Redbirds would blow the game open, scoring three runs to take an 8-5 lead over the Racers. Knight drove in the first run with an RBI single and Griffin followed with an RBI double to left center field. The final run would come off the bat of Larson, who doubled to left center to give the Birds a three-run lead. Meshnick then buckled down and held the Racers scoreless in the bottom half of the inning to pick up the win for the Redbirds and send them into the MVC Championship with some momentum.
ON DECK
The Redbirds have secured the No. 4 seed in the 2025 MVC Championship hosted by Drake in Des Moines, Iowa. ISU will have a first-round bye and will play the winner of the Missouri State/UIC game on Thursday, May 8, at 1 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: Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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