By Illinois State Athletics
CHICAGO – The Illinois State Redbirds racked up 12 runs across two games as they swept a doubleheader at Loyola Saturday in Chicago. ISU won game one, 6-2, and game two, 6-0.
Illinois State (15-27, 7-9 MVC) and Loyola will finish the series Sunday at noon. A live audio broadcast will be available on GoRedbirds.com.
Game 1: Illinois State 6 – Loyola 2
Consistent offense has been an issue for Illinois State this season, but that was not the case in game one Saturday. The Redbirds scored in three consecutive innings to pick up a series-opening win.
Illinois State starter Regan Romshek and Loyola’s Keenan Dolezal dueled early, working scoreless innings in the first and second. Romshek allowed a hit in both innings, while Dolezal surrendered a pair of walks. No runner advanced past first base for either team in the first two innings, but Illinois State broke through in the third inning.
After a walk to Lauren Prader to start the inning, Shannon Felde reached on a fielder’s choice. The throw to second was off the mark, which allowed Prader to slide in safe. Two batters later, Romshek drew a walk and an RBI double from Riley Strandgard scored two runs to put ISU on the board.
In the fourth, Payton Billups led off with a single and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Caliva. Prader then doubled down the left field line to score Billups and extend the ISU lead.
The Redbird offense continued hitting in the fifth, plating three runs to blow the game wide open. After hits from Romshek and Strandgard, Billups singled to left and both runners crossed the plate. On the next play, Caliva singled up the middle and Billups came around to score, making it 6-0, Redbirds.
Romshek coasted through the first four innings before Loyola tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff triple from Brooke Wilson, Erica Nagel singled her in to put Loyola on the board. Romshek would work out of a jam, leaving runners at second and third.
The Ramblers would manage one more run in the bottom of the seventh, but Romshek was able to finish the job in the circle. The senior picked up her sixth win of the season, pitching all seven innings and allowing two runs on eight hits. She struck out five and walked one.
Strandgard finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBIs, while Billups finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Game 2: Illinois State 6 – Loyola 0
The Redbird offense was alive and well in game two, scoring six runs en route to the second ISU victory of the day.
After being held scoreless through the first two innings, the Redbird offense put together a big third inning. After Lauren Prader walked to lead off the inning, she was sacrificed to second by Shannon Felde. A walk to Annie Heineman put runners on the corners and Regan Romshek doubled to score Prader.
Jordan de los Reyes then stepped to the plate and tripled into the right-center field gap to clear the bases and give ISU a 3-0 lead. A single from Riley Strandgard drove in de los Reyes and Alex Caliva later singled in Strandgard to make it 5-0 Redbirds.
ISU starter Sarah Finck was solid all game for ISU and scattered six hits through a complete game victory. The sophomore never faced more than four batters in an inning and struck out seven, while walking just one.
She scattered seven hits on the day and the five run inning was more than enough support. The Redbirds added one more run in the sixth when de los Reyes drew a bases loaded walk to score Felde.
De los Reyes finished the game 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. Heineman, Romshek, Caliva and Felde each had two hits apiece as well.
It’s the second series win in MVC play for the Redbirds this season.
