NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State softball dropped both ends of its Senior Day doubleheader against Murray State on Saturday, falling 13-7 in the opener and 6-5 in the nightcap on Melinda Fischer Field at Marian Kneer Stadium.
A two-home run performance from Taylor Liebelt in the first game and a three-run shot from Lauren Flowers in the second powered the Illinois State offense, but the Redbirds couldn't overcome late-inning surges by the Racers in both contests.
BIRD BITS (Game 1 vs. Murray St.)
Offensive Highlights:
Taylor Liebelt: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
Lauren Flowers: 2-for-4, 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R
Morgan Calhoun: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
Julia Larson: 2-for-4, 1 R
Pitching Breakdown:
Hannah Meshnick: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
Gracelyn Kemp (L, 2-3): 2.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Hannah Meeks: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
HOW IT HAPPENED
Murray State opened the scoring in the top of the first with a two-run homer to center field. The Redbirds answered in the bottom half, as Lauren Flowers hit an RBI double, and Morgan Calhoun followed with an RBI single to knot the game at two.
The Racers retook the lead with a solo home run, before the Redbirds tied it up again on Calhoun's second RBI single of the game.
The back-and-forth continued, as Murray State plated a run on a sacrifice fly, and then Taylor Liebelt led off the home half of the fourth with a solo bomb to deadlock the score at 4-4.
The Racers broke the game open from there, taking a three-run lead in the sixth on a bases clearing triple to left field and then adding six more in the seventh.
Liebelt provided a final spark for the Redbirds with a three-run blast in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally fell short.
BIRD BITS (Game 2 vs. Murray St.)
Offensive Highlights:
Lauren Flowers: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 1 R
Hannah Meshnick: 1-for-3, HR, 1 RBI, 1 R
Morgan Calhoun: 1-for-3, 2B, 1 R
Taylor Liebelt: 0-for-2, 1 RBI
Pitching Breakdown:
Hannah Meshnick: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Gracelyn Kemp (L, 2-4): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Redbirds built a 4-0 advantage through three innings, sparked by solo home runs from Hannah Meshnick in the second and a three-run blast from Flowers in the third.
Meshnick, who also started in the circle, held the Racers to just one run through five innings before Murray State ignited a comeback.
The Racers tied the game in the sixth inning behind a sacrifice fly and a two-run homer. While Liebelt put the Redbirds back in front with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth, the lead was short-lived.
In the top of the seventh, Murray State launched a two-run bomb to center field to provide the winning run for the Racers.
ON DECK
The Redbirds will try and bounce back against Murray State tomorrow at noon CT.
