ON DECK
The Illinois State softball team continues Valley play with a three-game road series against Northern Iowa on March 27-28. Friday's doubleheader is set for noon and 2:30 p.m. CT, with the series finale slated for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
LAST TIME OUT
Illinois State earned a series win over Southern Illinois last weekend. On Friday, the Redbirds shut out the Salukis, 4-0, before falling, 9-0, in five innings in the nightcap. The Redbirds closed the series on Saturday with a 5-4 win in walk-off fashion.
WALK-OFF WINNER
The series finale against Southern Illinois ended in a dramatic victory for the Redbirds. Needing just three outs to secure the win, Illinois State saw the lead slip away as Southern Illinois launched a two-run homer in the seventh to go up 4–3. But the Redbirds refused to back down. Taking advantage of a Saluki error in the bottom of the inning, Illinois State rallied, and freshman Lauren Flowers delivered the decisive blow with a walk-off RBI single to clinch the series victory. Paige McLeod also earned her second win of the series, allowing two earned runs while tying her season high with five strikeouts.
MVC ROAD SERIES
The Redbirds are 0-3 in MVC road openers and 2-6 in conference road-opening series under head coach Tina Kramos.
2026 MILESTONES
- Paige McLeod tallied her 50th career start in the circle and earned her 30th career win in the circle against SIU on March 20.
- Ella Boyer reached 100 career bases against SIU on March 20 and 300 career assists against Drake on March 14.
- Hannah Meshnick tallied her 200th career strikeout against UC-Santa Barbara on Feb. 13 and her 30th career win in the circle against UAlbany on Feb. 28.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball) and Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball).
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