By ISU Sports Information
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Illinois State softball team concluded the Florida portion of its spring break trip Tuesday with a 7-3 win over Ball State and a 1-0 loss to No. 25 UCF at Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. The split give ISU a 7-15 overall record.
The Redbirds will now travel to the University of Louisville for four games this coming weekend. The slate of games will conclude ISU’s road trip.
Game 1: Illinois State 7 – Ball State 3
Regan Romshek turned in another solid performance in the circle as ISU picked up a 7-3 win over Ball State in game one of the day. Romshek allowed a run in the top of the first, but her offense answered right back in the bottom of the frame.
Annie Heineman hit an infield single to lead off and was moved around to third on a stolen base and sacrifice fly. Heineman would later score on an illegal pitch to tie the game.
Romshek cruised through the next two innings, but surrendered a run in the top of the fourth. After India Steward tripled with one out, Elise Sandberg hit an RBI single to put Ball State back in the lead, 2-1.
Once again, Romshek’s offense responded. In the bottom of the fourth, ISU put the first three runners on base by way of a single, walk and fielder’s choice. Caitlyn Daly hit a pinch-hit single to tie the game and Heineman followed with a single of her own to bring in two more runs. The next batter up, Riley Hale, hit a two-RBI single to extend ISU’s lead to 6-2.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Payton Billups singled and came around to score on an RBI single from Alex Caliva. The only other run of the game would be a solo home run from Ball State’s Rachel Houck in the top of the seventh.
Romshek picked up her second win of the season, throwing all seven innings and allowing three earned runs on nine hits. The senior struck out three and walked three. Heineman led the way for the offense, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs. Hale chipped in with a 1-for-3 day that included two RBIs.
Eight different Redbirds recorded a hit in the game and five different ISU players crossed the plate.
Game 2: No. 25 UCF 1 – Illinois State 0 (10 inn.)
Illinois State and No. 25 Central Florida battled to a scoreless draw through nine innings of play Tuesday night in Orlando. In the tenth, UCF’s Samantha McCloskey hit a walk off solo home run to win the game for the Knights.
ISU starter Sarah Finck pitched all 9.1 innings for the Redbirds and was magnificent from start to finish. Finck allowed a base hit in the first inning, but the runner was later thrown out trying to steal by Jordan de los Reyes. In the second, Finck gave up her first hit of the game, but her defense turned a double play later in the inning.
ISU’s offense struggled to get anything going against UCF’s Shelby Turnier who matched Finck inning for inning. Turnier walked two in the top of the second, but ISU left runners at first and second. In the third, Kaitlyn Knary led off with a double, but was stranded at third.
Finck would give UCF no such chances in the middle innings. Beginning with the double play in the second inning, Finck retired 13-straight hitters from the second to the sixth inning. A single from Willow Kalinen broke up the streak with two outs in the sixth, but Finck got out of the inning by striking out the next batter.
With runners on first and second and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Finck was able to get a ground ball fielder’s choice to end the inning and send the game to extras. In both the eighth and the ninth, ISU left a runner at second base, but Finck was perfect in the bottom of each frame.
After the Redbirds went down in order in the top of the tenth, Finck recorded her fifth strikeout of the night to start the bottom of the frame. However, McCloskey then stepped to the plate and launched a solo blast over the left-center field fence that won the game for the Knights.
Finck pitched 9.1 innings and allowed one earned run on four hits. She struck out five and walked one while facing only 32 batters. She was the tough-luck loser and drops to 4-8 on the season.
Knary led the way at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with two singles and a double. Caliva added a 2-for-4 effort.
