McLean County Times

The Illinois State Redbirds began their 2025 softball season with a split on the opening day of the USF-Rawlings Tournament in Tampa, Florida. The team secured a 2-1 victory against Delaware in extra innings but fell to host USF with a score of 5-3 in the evening match at the USF Softball Stadium.

Junior pitcher Hannah Meshnick delivered a strong performance for Illinois State in the first game, pitching all eight innings and allowing just one run while striking out two batters. Adisyn Hopkins contributed offensively by driving in the first run, and Ella Boyer scored on a wild pitch in the eighth inning to secure the win.

In their second game, freshman Gracelyn Kemp made her collegiate debut as a starting pitcher against USF. Bailah Bognar led the Redbird offense by driving in two runs and scoring once. Despite an early lead, Illinois State was unable to hold off USF's fourth-inning rally, resulting in their first loss of the season.

The Redbirds will continue tournament play with games scheduled against Georgia Southern and No. 2/3 Florida on Friday, followed by a matchup with No. 22 Michigan on Saturday.

For more information and updates on Illinois State Softball, fans can follow their social media accounts or visit GoRedbirds.com.