Day throws Illinois State softball’s first no-hitter in last decade
NORMAL, Ill. (BVM) — On March 14, Morgan Day became the first Illinois State softball pitcher to throw a complete-game no-hitter since 2011 in the Redbirds’ 2-0 win over North Dakota State. Taylor Baxter was the last Redbird to accomplish the feat over a decade ago against Central Connecticut State.
Not only did Day throw the seven-inning no-hitter, but she was nearly perfect, walking just one batter while impressively striking out 16 hitters. The star pitcher improved her record to 6-3, while the victory helped Illinois State win the Middle Tennessee State Invitational.
❌𝐍𝐎-𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑❌@MorganDay_29 tosses the first no-hitter for #REDBIRDsoftball since 2011, finishing with 16 strikeouts😱🔥#BackTheBirds // @NCAAsoftball pic.twitter.com/l7jnSlBvfQ
— Illinois State Softball (@RedbirdsSB) March 14, 2021
The Redbirds have continued their success with six more wins since the gem from Day, and are currently on a 10-game win streak that has led to an 18-4 overall record, and a 5-0 record within the Missouri Valley Conference.
For Day, the success is nothing new. As a junior in 2020, she pitched her way to a 7-5 record which included eight complete games and two shutouts. She also had a 2.76 ERA over the 78 innings she pitched, and had the 12th most strikeouts among NCAA Division I softball pitchers with 123. One of her top performances included setting a single-game Illinois State record with 18 strikeouts in a complete-game shutout of IUPUI.
Day showed flashes of brilliance while pitching at the prep level at nearby Tuscola High School as well, where she was a first team all-conference and first team all-state player. In addition to throwing a couple of no-hitters during her high school career, Day set single-season program records as a senior in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.
Her success has clearly continued on in college, and it will be interesting to see how far the senior can lead the Redbirds through the spring as she continues her final collegiate season. Illinois State’s next game will come on Saturday, April 2 as they begin a three-game series with Drake.
