ISU softball hosts Indiana State Tuesday

[April 24, 2012]  NORMAL -- The Illinois State softball team will conclude a three-game series with Missouri Valley Conference foe Indiana State on Tuesday evening at Marian Kneer Stadium. The Redbirds and Sycamores will play a single game beginning at 5 p.m., after splitting a doubleheader last Wednesday in Terre Haute, Ind.

Illinois State (28-20, 13-7 MVC) is coming off a three-game Valley sweep of Bradley last weekend in Peoria and remains a half-game behind Creighton for third place in the league standings. Seven different Illinois State hitters collected four or more hits in the series with the Braves, as senior Liz Andrews led the way, going 6 for 12 with a pair of triples, a double and a two-run homer. Senior pitcher Jordan Birch, who was named this week's MVC Pitcher of the Week, earned two wins inside the circle, tossing a four-hitter victory Saturday afternoon and followed it up by tossing all 10 innings in a 5-4 win Sunday. Birch recorded 17 strikeouts and walked just one in her 17 innings of work.

Andrews currently leads Illinois State's offense with a .326 batting average and eight doubles. The senior outfielder is slugging .518 and has driven in 16 runs this season. Sophomore Laura Canopy is second on the squad with a .318 batting average and leads the team with a .430 on-base percentage. Junior Jhavon Hamilton, who homered twice last weekend, is hitting .314 and leads the team with nine home runs and 29 RBIs. In the circle, Birch leads the Redbird pitching staff with a 17-12 record and 1.70 ERA. She leads the Valley with 179 strikeouts, and opponents are hitting just .206 off her, which stands as the second-best mark in the conference.

Indiana State (18-26, 5-14 MVC) took two of three games from Wichita State last weekend in Terre Haute to move into sole possession of eighth in the MVC standings. The Sycamores are hitting just .239 collectively but have four players hitting over .300. Megan Stone leads Indiana State with a .352 average and 15 stolen bases, while Hailey Tinsman owns a .330 average and a team-best .489 slugging percentage. Lindsey Beisser, who earned the win over the Redbirds earlier this season, leads the Sycamore pitching staff with an 11-16 record and 1.85 ERA. Beisser has posted three shutouts this season in 18 starts and retired 161 opposing batters via strikeout.

Tuesday's game will mark the 88th meeting between the Redbirds and Sycamores, with Illinois State holding a 73-14 advantage in the all-time series. Illinois State has won 32 of the last 36 meetings and has not lost a regular-season series to Indiana State since the 2000 season.

Tuesday will also be Red Alert Day at Marian Kneer Stadium, as the first 50 Red Alert members in attendance will receive free pizza at the ballpark. In addition, former Redbird great Priscilla Welch-Delaere will serve as a Redbird ambassador for the midweek contest and throw out the first pitch.

[Text from news release received from Dustin Hall, graduate assistant, athletics communications, Illinois State University]