By ISU Sports Information
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Payton Billups launched a walkoff home run and Regan Romshek threw the first complete game shutout of the season as the Illinois State softball team defeated Mercer 1-0 Friday in Gainesville, Florida. ISU then fell to an undefeated Kansas team 4-2 to finish the day.
Billups provided the only source of real offense the Redbirds’ had all day, but it was enough to give ISU its fifth win of the season. ISU managed just two hits all game and did not advance a runner past first base until Billups’ home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
However, Romshek and the Redbird defense kept the score knotted at zero with a stellar effort. Romshek gave up seven hits, and routinely worked out of jams. She got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and then left multiple runners stranded in both the fourth and the fifth.
Timely defensive plays paid off for ISU and the offense showed up when they needed it most. Billups’ home run is the first of her Illinois State career and nine of ISU’s 10 home runs this season have come in victories.
Romshek advanced to 4-3 with the win after striking out five and walking two while throwing the full seven innings. The win was the 31st of her career.
Later in the day, the Redbirds faced Kansas for the first of two meetings this weekend. KU came in sporting an 11-0 record and jumped on ISU early. The Jayhawks plated a run in the first and added two more in the second.
In the fourth inning, Billups once again came up with the big hit for ISU. She belted a two-run home run to the opposite field to pull ISU within one run.
In the circle, McKensie Vissering pitched her finest game of the season, and held KU scoreless for 3 2/3 innings after the second. The Jayhawks were able to tack on one more run in the sixth and ISU faced a two-run deficit heading to the seventh inning.
The Redbirds loaded the bases, but could not score the tying run, dropping ISU to 5-7 this season. ISU struck out 11 times and on seven of those strikeouts they went down looking. The Redbirds also stranded nine runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded twice.
Vissering was the tough-luck loser, pitching six innings and scattering 12 hits while giving up three earned runs. She struck out three while walking one and now drops to 1-4 on the season.
ISU will play two more games tomorrow in Gainesville. The Redbirds face Liberty at 8:30 a.m. CST and then they will take on No. 1 Florida at 11 a.m. CST.
