By Zach Wadley/Illinois State University Athletics Media Relations
NORMAL, Ill. – After scoring one run on four hits Tuesday night, the Illinois State softball team bounced back Saturday, scoring 16 runs across two wins against Indiana State. The Redbirds won game one, 8-0, in five innings and game two, 8-5.
The wins secure the first conference series victory for Illinois State (12-24, 4-6 MVC) this season and ISU extends its Missouri Valley Conference winning streak to three.
The two teams will close the series Sunday at noon. A live audio broadcast will be available at WJBC.com.
Game 1: Illinois State 8 – Indiana State 0 (5 innings)
Sarah Finck gave the Redbirds five quality innings in the circle, and the ISU offense clobbered four home runs en route to an 8-0 victory in five innings.
Finck scarcely ran into trouble, but did surrender a pair of singles in the first inning. With runners at first and second and one out, she induced a 4-3 double play ball to end the inning with no damage done. Her offense then set the tone early, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame.
Indiana State’s Bailey Benefiel recorded the first two outs of the inning before allowing a base hit to Jordan de los Reyes. Riley Strandgard then stepped to the plate and hit her third home run of the year, a deep shot over the right-center field fence.
Finck was perfect in both the second and third innings, and her offense gave her another run of support in the bottom of the third. Once again, a long ball supplied the offense as Regan Romshek hit a solo shot to lead off the inning and make it 3-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Redbirds busted the game wide open. After Payton Billups singled, Finck helped herself out with a two-run homer, which was her first of the season. With two outs in the inning, Riley Hale was hit by a pitch and Annie Heineman walked, setting the table for Romshek. The senior left the yard again, this time hitting a three-run homer to put ISU up, 8-0.
Finck allowed a walk and a double to begin the top of the fifth, but a groundout and back-to-back strikeouts ended the ballgame. The win was Finck’s fifth of the year and her first shutout victory of the season. She pitched five innings and scattered four hits, while striking out five and walking one.
Romshek led the way offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of homers and four RBIs. De los Reyes led the team with three hits, and Strandgard finished 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
Game 2: Illinois State 8 – Indiana State 5
After a three-hit performance in the first game of the day, Jordan de los Reyes led the offense in game two with three more hits, while Regan Romshek picked up her fourth win of the season in the circle.
Illinois State found itself in a hole early as Indiana State scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Romshek allowed four hits in the inning, including a two-RBI double to Brooke Riemenschneider.
She was able to work out of the inning and then put the Sycamores down in order in the second. In the bottom of the frame, the Redbird offense put together a big inning, which would be enough for the victory.
Illinois State sent 12 batters to the plate in the second and recorded four hits and four walks. Lauren Prader led off the inning with a double and Alex Caliva singled her in two batters later. After a walk to Riley Hale loaded the bases, Kaitlyn Knary and Annie Heineman both drew walks to drive in a run. Romshek then stepped to the plate and hit a two-RBI double down the third base line to make it 5-3, Redbirds. The next batter, de los Reyes, hit a three-run home run, which was her seventh of the season.
The Redbird offense went quietly the rest of the way, but the eight-run inning was enough for Romshek. She surrendered a run in the fourth and another in the sixth off of a solo home run, but held on to secure the victory.
Romshek pitched seven innings and allowed five earned runs on nine hits, while striking out one and walking one. At the plate, she finished 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.
De los Reyes finished 3-for-3 with a run and three RBIs, while four other Redbirds chipped in with a hit.
