McLean County Times

Illinois State University faced off against Drake University in a softball series opener, encountering a 4-1 defeat in Des Moines. The game, held at Ron Buel Field, was postponed by an hour due to rain, impacting the Redbirds' performance. With this result, the Redbirds now have a record of 11 wins and 24 losses overall, with 5 wins and 6 losses in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs' victory brought their record to 12 wins and 20 losses, including 4 wins and 6 losses in the MVC.

The match remained scoreless through two innings before Drake took the lead with a run in the third inning. The Redbirds responded in the fourth inning, leveling the score at 1-1, with Addison Masching scoring after hits by Tatum Wolford and Adisyn Hopkins. However, Drake regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, followed by a two-run homer in the fifth inning, concluding the game at 4-1.

Hannah Meshnick earned her sixth win of the season for Drake with contributions over 4.1 innings while Hannah Meeks pitched 1.2 innings, limiting additional Redbird scores.

The series will continue with the second game scheduled for Saturday afternoon, followed by the series finale on Sunday. For real-time updates, fans can follow the Redbirds' social media platforms or visit their website.