The Illinois State softball team celebrates during a 2019 season home game against Missouri State. The Redbirds have much to celebrate this weekend, after taking home five wins during the FAU Parents' Weekend Tournament.
Illinois State softball wrapped up an action-packed weekend at the Florida Atlantic University Parents’ Weekend Tournament on Sunday. Over the course of the three-day tournament, the Redbirds picked up five game wins and suffered just one loss.
Friday vs. No. 10 Kentucky
The Redbirds kicked off the tournament with a loss against nationally ranked Kentucky. The final score was 5-4 and moved the Redbirds to 3-3 on the season.
Mack Leonard got on the board in the first inning, but the Wildcats responded in the bottom of the first scoring off a Redbird fielding error. In the fifth inning, Leonard helped the ’Birds score twice for a commanding 3-1 lead.
Kentucky responded, ripping off three runs in order to take back the lead 4-3 in the top of the seventh. A Spenser Strandgard hit into left field tied the game at four all in the final frame, but Kentucky pounced on a Redbird error and won the game 5-4.
Friday vs. Florida International University
ISU won its second game of the weekend with a 3-2 win against Florida International. Leonard secured a walk-off home run to help propel the ’Birds into the lead. The win put the Redbirds’ overall record at 4-3.
The Redbirds managed to get the bases loaded in the first inning, only to score one run as Emme Olsen sent Leonard to home plate and put the early score in favor of Illinois State, 1-0.
An error in the fourth saw FIU tie the game. The Panthers secured their only lead over the Redbirds in the fifth before a triple in the sixth from Dayna Kennedy sent Kaili Chval home to yet again level the playing field.
A subsequent Leonard home run in the bottom of the seventh won ISU the game 3-2, securing the Redbirds’first win in the FAU tournament.
Saturday vs. Pittsburgh
The Redbirds’ bats were booming on Saturday as they beat Pittsburgh 9-5 in the third game of the Florida Atlantic University Parents’ Weekend tournament. An outburst of seven runs in the final three innings propelled them to a victory.
Olsen brought Leonard home with a single right off the bat in the first inning. The Panthers returned the favor, knotting the score at 1-1 just before the second inning. Leonard then drove Michelle Calabrese home in the second to put the Redbirds at an advantage.
Pittsburgh’s response came in the bottom of the third scoring two for a 3-2 lead. However, a Kennedy and Strandgard hit gave the Redbirds two runs to steal back the lead for good.
A Chval pop fly in the top of the sixth saw Jayden Standish run home, and another Olsen hit saw Leonard score for an additional two runs in the sixth inning alone. At the top of the seventh, a Madi Bylak single scored two and a Leonard hit let Bylak get to home as well to score three in the final frame to secure a six-run lead. The Panthers scored another two, but it was fruitless as ISU won 9-5.
Saturday vs. Florida International University
A seven-run Illinois State first inning was more than enough to beat Florida International for the second time this weekend. The 9-3 Redbird win moved the team’s record up to 6-3 .
The Redbird bats were scorching in the first inning, but the Panthers struck first with an early homer. However, Kennedy brought Chval home for ISU’s first run of the game. Strandgard saw Olsen reach home plate for the second run.
Brittni LaFountaine’s single saw Kennedy around the bases. Additionally, the next hit from Reili Gardner allowed Strandgard to score to put the game at 4-1 in the first. The scoring run did not stop there as a Leonard triple brought home Bylak, Gardner and LaFountaine to put the Redbirds up 7-1 at the end of the first inning.
FIU responded with two runs of their own in the third but a Chval hit brought home both LaFountaine and Bylak for another 9-3 lead. The Redbirds kept momentum through the rest of the game to walk away with their third win of the weekend.
Sunday vs. Coastal Carolina
Another seven-run first inning in consecutive games helped the Redbirds fly by Coastal Carolina in the final day of the tournament. The Redbirds dominated the Chanticleers 12-5.
A Chval single put Leonard on the board early. Chval then scored on a hit from Bylak. Standish’s grand slam in the first inning drove home another four runs for the Redbirds. Gardner scored one more in the first and the Redbirds held a commanding 7-0 lead.
Olsen scored in the second inning thanks to a CCU error. The Chanticleers returned fire with a run in the second.
The Redbirds once again blitzed CCU in the fifth inning, as Bylak, Standish, Gardner and Moffett each ran for home to give the Redbirds another four runs.
CCU would answer back with four runs of their own in the fifth but the Redbirds held firm and denied the Chanticleers anything more, winning the game 12-5 and moving up to 7-3 on the season.
Sunday vs. Florida Atlantic University
ISU required an extra inning in order to knock off tournament hosts Florida Atlantic. The Redbirds won 5-4 in their final game of the three-day tournament. The win moved the Redbirds up 8-3 on the season and extended their win streak to five games.
After a quiet start, FAU managed the first run of the game in the fourth inning, but the Redbirds came back with a run of their own in the fifth from Chval.
In the bottom of the fifth, FAU once again scored from a single sent to right field. Despite being down again, the Redbirds rallied during their next at bat thanks to Moffett getting home off a Gardner single.
A two-run RBI from FAU in the bottom of the sixth put pressure on the Redbirds to score two in the final inning, to which they delivered. A Kennedy home run cut the deficit to one and an Andrea Coursey single sent Strandgard to score the game-tying run in the seventh inning.
The Redbirds wrapped up the game in the first extra inning thanks to a Leonard single that allowed Coursey home for the game-winning run, 5-4.
ISU will look to continue their fantastic run in the Middle Tennessee State University Invitational, where the Redbirds will face off against Dayton on March 12.
First pitch between the Redbirds and Flyers is set for 10 a.m.
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