CHICAGO (April 26, 2019) – Winners in two of the last three outings, the Loyola University Chicago softball team pairs up for Illinois State for a crucial three-game series. The Redbirds are currently the conference's No. 6-seed and hold a one game lead in the standings over Loyola in the race for a Day One bye in the MVC Tournament. Including this weekend's series, each team has six scheduled conference games remaining. First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is thrown at 12 p.m., followed by a single game played on April 28 at 11 a.m.  
 
Last Time Out: Loyola took care of business on the road with a 5-2 victory over Valparaiso on Wednesday (April 24). While she registered her 20^th multi-hit game of the season, it was Jessica Shields' baserunning that wrote the story. The outfielder stole her 35^th base of the season in the fifth inning to set a new program record for most steals in the season. Three Ramblers chipped in two-hit performances, including Allyson Ivey who also added an RBI to extend her season total to 47. Kiley Jones kept the Crusader bats at bay from the circle, hurling her 12^th complete game and notching her 12^th win of season. The righty needs four strikeouts to reach the 350-whiff benchmark, and is one victory shy of becoming the second Rambler to compile 60 in a career.
 
A Look at the Redbirds: Illinois State, picked to finish fifth in the MVC, has relied on the duo of Shannon Felde and Allison Spence at the plate. The seniors have the two highest batting averages on the team and rank within the conference's Top-30, hitting .358 and .322, respectively. Felde specifically enters the series red-hot, having reached base safely in 25 of the last 26 games, and recording a hit in 10 of her last 11 contests. The Redbirds have utilized Morgan Day in the circle the most out of any pitcher on their staff. The Tuscola, Illinois native ranks sixth in the conference in innings pitched (124.1), fourth in strikeouts (115) and third in appearances (34).
 
Series Stuff: Illinois State holds a 17-6 all-time advantage over Loyola. The Ramblers are in search of their first win over the Redbirds since 2016, and first in Normal since the year before that. Shannon McGee and Jordyn Cordell each have an RBI to their credit in their careers versus the Redbirds, while McGee is .333 lifetime against Loyola's in-state foe (4-for-12).
 
Up Next: The Maroon and Gold return home where they'll play the duration of the regular season. First on the docket it DePaul for another addition of the Red Line Rivalry. The month opening game is scheduled for 1 p.m. that Wednesday afternoon at Loyola Softball Park.
 
#OnwardLU