GAINESVILLE- For the third consecutive week, the Illinois State softball team will fly home with a 2-3 weekend record. The Redbirds lost to Kansas 10-2 in five innings Sunday morning in Gainesville, Florida, to finish their trip to the University of Florida.
It’s the third time this season that ISU has been run-ruled and the Jayhawks set the tone from the get-go. KU opened the top of the first with back-to-back singles on Redbird pitcher, Regan Romshek. With two on and nobody out, Chaley Brickey hit a three-run homer to give Kansas an early lead.
Romshek was pulled after just five hitters and McKensie Vissering entered to pitch the next 3 1/3 innings. The Jayhawks added one more run in the second to extend their lead to 4-0.
ISU’s offense rallied in the bottom of the third as Annie Heineman and Kara Repp drew back-to-back walks. With runners on first and second, Romshek ripped a bases-clearing double down the leftfield line that cut the KU lead in half.
Kansas came right back at ISU, though, scoring six runs in the top of the fourth. Daniella Chavez’s three-run homer was the highlight of the inning as KU pushed its lead to eight and then held ISU for the final two innings to pick up the run-rule victory.
Romshek took the loss after giving up four hits and three earned runs. Vissering gave up eight hits and five runs in her 3.1 innings of work and Lindsey Greene finished in the circle, relinquishing two hits and two runs.
ISU tallied three hits for the game. Heineman, Romshek and Riley Strandgard all went 1-2 on the day. Strandgard finished the weekend 4-6 at the plate and a perfect fielding percentage.
ISU has gone 2-3 on all three weekend trips and now sits at 6-9 overall. The Redbirds will travel to College Station, Texas, Friday for five games at Texas A&M. ISU will take on the host Aggies twice, UTSA twice and Boston University.
