NORMAL- Evansville hit four home runs and scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning en route a 7-4 victory over the Illinois State softball team Sunday at Marian Kneer Stadium. The Redbirds dropped two games in the series and fall to 13-26 overall and 5-8 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
ISU starter Regan Romshek threw two scoreless innings to start the game, which was matched by Evansville’s Morgan Florey. After Florey allowed a leadoff double to Annie Heineman in the bottom of the first, she retired the next six batters.
The long ball then put both teams on the board in the third inning. After Chandra Parr singled, Florey hit a two-run home run to give Evansville a 2-0 lead. The home run was Florey’s third of the weekend and fourth of the season. ISU quickly erased the deficit in the bottom of the frame. Allison Spence led off with a double and Shannon Felde singled to drive her in. Heineman then hit her second double of the game, which scored Felde to tie the game. Three batters later, Riley Strandgard hit a two-run blast of her own, scoring Heineman as well, which gave ISU a 4-2 lead.
Romshek allowed a leadoff single in the fourth, but retired the next three batters. Florey did her one better by working a perfect fourth inning. In the fifth, Parr and Morgan Lambert each hit solo home runs to tie the game at four apiece. The pair of homers knocked Romshek out of the game and ISU turned to Shannon Felde.
Felde cruised through the sixth inning, and Florey worked around a leadoff single to keep the game tied, 4-4. In the top of the seventh, Felde allowed a leadoff home run to Parr before allowing a walk and a double to the next two hitters. She was pulled from the game in favor of Sarah Finck. Finck quickly recorded the first two outs of the inning, but back-to-back singles from Michal Luckett and Susan Norris drove in a pair of runs and extended the Evansville lead to 7-4.
The Redbirds were unable to make a comeback, going down in order in the bottom of the seventh. Florey picked up her second win of the weekend, pitching seven innings and striking out seven while walking none.
Felde took the loss for the Redbirds and the three pitchers combined to allow 12 hits, while striking out five and walking four.
Parr led the way for Evansville, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. For Illinois State, Strandgard finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Heineman chipped in with a 2-for-4 effort that included two doubles, an RBI and a run scored.
The Redbirds will be on the road next week with a doubleheader at Bradley Wednesday and a three-game series at Loyola next weekend.
