By ISU Sports Information
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jordan de los Reyes was the hero for Illinois State softball as the junior singled in the game-winning run in an 8-7 walk off win over Jacksonville State Friday at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. ISU fell, 5-4, to Eastern Kentucky in game two of the day as the Colonels used a walk off base hit to defeat the Redbirds.
The Redbirds are now 8-16 on the season and will face No. 2 Michigan Saturday at 9 a.m. CT. The game will finish ISU’s spring break road trip.
Game 1: Illinois State 8 – Jacksonville State 7
Offenses clashed in Illinois State’s first game of the day as ISU and Jacksonville State featured two ties and four lead changes throughout the seven-inning contest. The Redbirds struck first, plating a run in the bottom of the first when Regan Romshek singled in Annie Heineman.
Romshek started in the circle for ISU and worked an easy first inning, but ran into trouble in the second. Jacksonville State scored three runs in the frame to take a 3-1 lead and Romshek exited early. The Redbirds tied the game in the bottom of the third as JSU walked one, hit another and committed two errors. Both runs were unearned.
Sarah Finck entered to pitch and finished the second inning before working a flawless third. Jacksonville State finally got to Finck in the fourth when it put together three-straight singles to score the go-ahead run.
ISU responded with three runs of its own to take back the lead, 6-4. Romshek doubled in a run and de los Reyes singled in two more. Jacksonville State helped out ISU once again, committing another error and walking two more batters.
The Redbirds tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fifth when Alex Caliva reached on an error and would later come into score on a bases loaded walk to Riley Hale. With a 7-4 lead, Finck went to the circle in the top of the seventh. After allowing a leadoff walk, which was followed by a double and a single, Finck was knocked out of the game.
Ali Domkuski entered with ISU leading by two, but hit the first batter she faced. Stephanie Lewis then stepped up and singled in a run before Caitlyn Sapp singled in the tying run. Domkuski was able to get out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hale started the rally with a leadoff single. After a walk to Romshek and a passed ball, Hale stood at third base with de los Reyes at the plate. De los Reyes hit a ground ball up the middle for a base hit that scored Hale and won the game for ISU.
ISU recorded eight hits in the game, including a 3-for-4 effort from de los Reyes. Romshek and Riley Strandgard each added two hits for Illinois State, while Domkuski picked up her second win of the season in the circle.
Game 2: Eastern Kentucky 5 – Illinois State 4
The script was flipped in game two of the day for Illinois State as a late Redbird rally would go to waste in the final inning. A pitchers’ duel early on, ISU’s Ali Domkuski worked four scoreless innings, which was bested by Haley Flynn’s five for Eastern Kentucky.
In the bottom of the fifth, Domkuski ran into trouble for the first time in the ball game. After the first two batters reached on a hit and a fielder’s choice, Johnkyria Alston singled in the first run of the game. Later in the inning, Hannah Clark drove in two more runs with a single of her own.
The Redbird offense was quick with a response though, as de los Reyes and Strandgard reached base to start the inning. ISU’s bench came up big as Caitlyn Daly singled in a pair of runs and then came home on an RBI double from Parker Bandy. Both Daly and Bandy were in pinch-hitting situations.
Tied at six, the ISU offense gave the Redbirds the lead for the first time in the top of the seventh. Once again, de los Reyes played the role of hero as she singled in Heineman to give ISU a 4-3 lead.
However, in the bottom of the seventh Eastern Kentucky mounted a rally. Domkuski allowed a pair of singles and a fielder’s choice to load the bases with one out. Clark then doubled to bring in the tying run and Sarah Fobbs stepped up and singled in the game-winning run to beat the Redbirds.
ISU left nine runners on base in the game and was outhit 10-8. Domkuski took the loss to fall to 2-4 for the season. She threw 6.2 innings and allowed 10 hits and five earned runs, while striking out five and walking one.
De los Reyes and Strandgard each had two hits at the plate while Daly drove in two runs.
