Meshnick Shuts Out Bradley, 1-0, To Give Birds Fourth-Straight Win
PEORIA, Ill. – It was a cold and blustery day on Tuesday in Peoria, as Illinois State and Bradley played the second of three games in the midweek I-74 rivalry series at OSF Healthcare Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. However, those conditions didn't seem to bother ISU starter Hannah Meshnick one bit, as she pitched a complete-game two-hit shutout to lift the Redbirds (11-23, 5-5 MVC) to a 1-0 victory over the Braves (16-19, 6-5 MVC).
The win gave the Redbirds a series win over the Braves, with the final contest of the three-game set to be played on April 22 in Normal at Marian Kneer Stadium. The win was also the fourth in a row for the Redbirds and their fifth in the last six games overall and evened their MVC record at 5-5.
BIRDS BITS (vs. Bradley)
Offensive Highlights:
Abby Knight: 2-for-3, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Julia Larson: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 3B
Delainey Bryant: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 R
Pitching Breakdown:
Hannah Meshnick (W, 6-9): 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 6 K
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Redbirds jumped out to an early lead, as Bryant and Larson both walked to begin the game. Knight then came to the plate and doubled down the left field line to score Bryan from second to give the Redbirds a 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning. From there it was all Meshnick, as she did not allow a baserunner until the sixth inning when the Braves finally picked up their first hit of the game and followed it up with a second hit to put Meshnick in trouble for the first time all game with one out. However, she got out of the jam and stranded a runner at third base in the seventh inning to secure the shutout win, her second of the year.
ON DECK
The Redbirds will head to Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend for a three-game MVC series at Drake. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 5 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday with the series finale scheduled for Noon on Sunday.
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