TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State Softball dropped its first Valley doubleheader of the season to Illinois State, falling 9-3 and then 10-3 on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Redbirds (13-12, 3-0 MVC) scored 19 runs on 26 hits and four errors by the Sycamores (13-12, 0-3 MVC) on the day, while holding Indiana State to just six runs on 10 total hits.
 
Indiana State will have this upcoming week off to prepare for Northern Iowa, which comes to town next Saturday (March 25) for a doubleheader, followed by a Sunday (March 26) matchup.
 
Game One:
Illinois State (12-12, 2-0 MVC), 9
Indiana State (13-11, 0-2 MVC), 3
WP: Veronique Johnson (1-0)
LP: Kenzie Ihle (10-7)
 
Illinois State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on starter Kenzie Ihle and then extended to 6-0 on reliever Della Gher, but Ihle re-entered the game to keep the Sycamores within striking distance until the very end in a 9-3 loss to the Redbirds in Saturday's opener.
 
Ihle, who threw five non-consecutive innings and 154 pitches after throwing 5.2 innings and 117 pitches in a loss to the Redbirds yesterday, left the game after Illinois State put up three earned in the top of the first on an RBI single by catcher Jordan de los Reyes (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB) and two on an error in centerfield, but re-entered in the fourth.
 
The Redbirds doubled down on Gher in the third in her second inning of work on three RBI singles by Riley Hale (1-4, RBI, BB), Riley Strandgard (1-5, RBI) and de los Reyes.
 
The Sycamores came to life in the bottom of the third inning, though, by quickly loading the bases on a Bailey Martin walk, Leslie Sims (2-3, BB) bunt single and a dropped fly in left off the bat of Brooke Mann (1-4).
 
That set the stage for an RBI groundout by Becky Malchow, an RBI single by Erika Crissman (1-4, RBI) and another RBI groundout by Rylee Holland.
 
Illinois State's Shannon Felde (2-5, HR, 2 RBI) set the stage for the final two innings, though, taking Ihle deep to center for her first career home run to begin another Redbird rally. Already up 7-3 in the seventh, Felde started it up again for Illinois State with an RBI single to right field, followed immediately by an RBI knock down the left field line by Annie Heineman (3-5, RBI) for the final run.
 
Sims and senior Mary Turitto led the way for the Sycamores, with both going 2-for-3 – Turitto slapping a double along the way.
 
Game Two:
Illinois State (13-12, 3-0 MVC), 10
Indiana State (13-12, 0-3 MVC), 3
WP: Sarah Finck (8-6)
LP: Kylie Stober (1-5)
 
Starting pitcher Kylie Stober kept the Sycamores within reach for the first three innings, but the Redbirds drew the game out with eight of their 10 runs coming in the last four innings en route to a 10-3 win over the Sycamores.
 
Illinois State brought one unearned across the plate in the top of the first off an RBI single by Allison Spence (2-4, 2 RBI, BB) and then one earned in the second off an RBI double by Riley Hale (3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, HBP).
 
The Redbirds extended to a 5-0 lead with a four-run top of the fourth on consecutive RBI singles by de los Reyes (4-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI), Spence and Felde (2-4, RBI, BB).
 
Sophomore catcher Brooke Mann got the Sycamores on the board with a frozen rope, two-run home run over the left field wall in the bottom half of the inning to make the game 5-2 after an Erika Crissman (1-3) single. For Mann, it was her sixth round-tripper of the season, as well as her Valley-leading 28th and 29th RBI. At six dingers this season, she currently ranks tied for eighth on the all-time single-season home run list at Indiana State.
 
However, Illinois State put one more across in both the fifth and sixth on another RBI double by Hale and a solo home run by de los Reyes – who drove three across in the seventh on a bases-clearing double to make the game 10-2.
 
Senior Mary Turitto continued her strong day with a deep solo shot to centerfield to make the game 10-3, her first homer of the season and fifth of her career. Bailey Martin immediately ripped her fourth double of the year on the next pitch, but the Sycamores weren't able to get anything else going.
 
Illinois State starter Sarah Finck went the distance again, striking out three in seven complete innings just one day after striking out five and allowing two hits in a complete game win over the Sycamores.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Softball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.