Redbird softball splits two in Gainsville

Posted on February 21, 2015

Regan Romshek and Payton Billups hit back-to-back one-out singles to set the stage for Stephanie Gallant. (Photo Courtesy of GoRedbirds.com)

By WJBC staff

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Illinois State softball team split a pair of games Saturday at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. ISU defeated Liberty 3-2 in game one and then fell to No. 1 Florida 4-1.

The long ball has been the Redbirds’ friend this weekend and it was again on Saturday. Trailing Liberty 1-0 in the third inning, ISU put together a rally. Regan Romshek and Payton Billups hit back-to-back one-out singles to set the stage for Stephanie Gallant.

Gallant, who belted eight home runs last season, launched her first of the year to left-center to give ISU a 3-1 lead. Liberty pushed one more across in the fifth to pull within one, but Romshek handled the rest in the circle.

The junior struck out a season-high eight batters, and with the tying run on second in the top of the seventh, she struck out two hitters to end the game. Romshek scattered four hits and walked two in her fifth win of the season.

Pitching was the story of ISU’s next game against the top-ranked Gators. During opening weekend, Florida dispatched the Redbirds 8-0 in five innings, but that would not be the case the second time around.McKensie Vissering turned in another fabulous outing in the circle for ISU.

Vissering and Florida’s Alecia Ocasio were locked in a pitcher’s duel from the start as both pitchers took a no-hitter into the fifth. Ocasio lost her no-hit bid with two outs in the fifth as Riley Strandgard sent a towering blast over the left field fence. The home run was the first of Strandgard’s career and it gave ISU a 1-0 lead.

The lead would not hold long, though, as Florida’s offense awoke in the bottom of the fifth. With two on and two out, Florida’s Lauren Haeger hit a three-run homer that was followed by a solo blast from Bailey Castro.

That was all the offense for the game as the Gators won 4-1. Florida managed just four hits on Vissering and Romshek while Strandgard’s home run was the only ISU hit.

Vissering took the loss to fall to 1-5 on the season as she went 4 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and four runs while walking four.

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