McLean County Times

Paige McLeod delivered an impressive performance on Friday night, achieving her second career no-hitter and marking the first such feat at Marian Kneer Stadium in 23 years. This makes McLeod only the second Redbird to achieve multiple career no-hitters, the second to have two in a single season, and notably, the first freshman to accomplish both.

The last time a Redbird pitched a no-hitter at home was on April 7, 2001, when Nicole Kurth set a single-game record by striking out 18 batters in a narrow 1-0 victory against Southern Illinois. Both historic home no-hitters were won with a score of 1-0. On Friday night, the Redbirds managed five hits to support McLeod's victory in her second no-hitter this season.

In terms of offense, Jayden Standish went 1-for-3 with a double; Kaili Chval also went 1-for-3; Adisyn Hopkins was 1-for-3; Bella Wilkerson contributed with another hit going 1-for-3; and Julia Larson finished with the same stats.

Pitching for seven innings without allowing any hits or runs and walking none, McLeod faced just one batter above the minimum due to two errors that prevented her from securing her first perfect game. The decisive run came when Standish hit a double in the bottom of the second inning and scored due to an Evansville error.

Looking ahead, Illinois State will face off against Evansville again tomorrow at noon Central Time. The regular season finale is scheduled for Sunday, May 5 at noon CT as well, where Senior Day celebrations will follow after the game concludes.

For further updates on Illinois State Softball, fans can follow them on social media platforms including Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball), and Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball). Additional information is available through GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App.