A Weekend Of Ups and Downs Highlighted by Collegiate Debuts: A Wrap on Tampa

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State softball put up mixed results this past weekend in Tampa, showing some promise, as well as similar issues to last year going 2-3 on the weekend.

The first game of the weekend saw ISU take on Bethune Cookman university and secure a dominant 10-1 victory. The Redbirds put up 12 hits in the victory with five players putting up two hits each, highlighted by freshman first baseman Morgan Calhoun who had a team high four runs batted in, on two ringing doubles to the left center field gap. Hannah Meshnick and Hannah Meeks pitched six innings of quality ball, Meshnick striking out five in her five innings of work.

Game 2 saw Illinois State pull off their biggest win of the tournament, upsetting the host University of South Florida Bulls, 5-1. After a first inning RBI single from Bulls first Baseman Karhys Pierce, Paige Mcleod appeared to turn back the clock and put on a performance similar to her freshman campaign throwing a complete game and allowing just 4 hits total striking out a pair in a major victory for the Redbirds. Despite only putting up six hits total themselves ISU’s Bella Atkinson hit her first home run of the season, a 2-run blast to put a dagger in the Bulls and move ISU to an impressive 2-0 to start the tournament.

Unfortunately, this is where the fun would stop for the Redbirds as they would proceed to get outscored 26-7 the rest of the tournament, as some of the major conference competitions proved too much for this young Illinois State team.

The largest loss of the weekend came in their next game against the Kansas Jayhawks, which saw ISU give up a baker’s dozen 13 runs in a run rule loss that only saw five innings of play. Hannah Meeks kept the birds in it allowing four runs in four and a third innings, before giving way to Gracelyn Kemp, who really struggled in her first appearance of the season, giving up 9 earned runs and 8 hits in less than an inning of work.

ISU’s next opponent held the Birds scoreless as the number six ranked Florida Gators blanked the Redbirds 7-0 in brining them to 2-2 on the tournament as a whole. Despite her stellar performance the night prior Paige Mcleod struggled against one of the top lineups in the country allowing six earned runs in four innings. Impressively Hannah Meshnick pitched three innings of first run ball in relief showing poise against a tough opponent.

In the final game of the weekend, ISU took on the Michigan Wolverines and kept this one closer, scoring the first two runs of the game in the first, but the Wolverines proved to be too much for Hannah Meshnick on her third straight game. ISU’s Lauren Flowers picked up her first two RBI’s as a Redbird in the game and provided a bright spot on a weekend that ended in some disappointment.

Next up for the Birds is a trip out West for the Silicon Valley Invitational, in California to take on some more notable opponents, including the University of Utah Utes February 12-15^th.

For all things Redbird softball, stay tuned to wznd.com.