McLean County Times

The Illinois State Redbirds' season concluded with a 4-2 loss to the Southern Illinois Salukis in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) tournament. The game ended dramatically with a walk-off grand slam by the Salukis, leaving the Redbirds with a final record of 23-31 for the season.

Pitcher Paige McLeod had an impressive run throughout the tournament, not allowing any earned runs until the decisive grand slam. Addison Masching stood out offensively, hitting her third home run of the year and going 3-for-3 in this crucial game. Additionally, Kaili Chval made her mark in Redbird history by becoming fourth all-time in career games played at 218.

In offensive highlights, Masching contributed significantly with her performance, while Delainey Bryant and Abby Knight also added to the scoreboard. Bryant went 2-for-4 and scored once, whereas Knight had an RBI from her single hit.

The game began scoreless until Masching's solo home run gave the Redbirds a lead in the second inning. They managed to hold onto their advantage through several innings and even extended it slightly in the sixth inning thanks to hits from Bryant and Knight. However, during a tense bottom of the seventh inning, Southern Illinois capitalized on loaded bases and clinched victory with a grand slam.

Fans can continue following updates about Illinois State Softball through social media platforms like Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball), and Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball). Additional information is available on GoRedbirds.com and via the Illinois State Redbirds App.