Feb. 9, 2007

Illinois-Louisville Box Score
Illinois-Florida International Box Score

Miami, Fla. - Illinois softball had a solid first day to the 2007 season. The Illini posted victories over No. 20 Louisville, 6-2, and host Florida International, 11-5, in day one of the Diamond Fun & Sun Classic in Miami.

"What we showed today was the ability to be resilient which we really started in the fall," said head coach Terri Sullivan. "Opening Day is always exciting and winning that first game is always nice to get under your belt."

Illinois shortstop Angelena Mexicano couldn't have started the season off any better. In her first at-bat of the 2007 season, the 2006 Big Ten RBI leader took a Kassie Stanfill offering and deposited it over the left-field fence in the first inning for her 12th career home run. Overall, Mexicano was 3-for-4 with three runs scored in the win over Louisville (0-2).

"I knew I got a hold of it pretty well, but I didn't expect it to carry that far," Mexicano said. "The mentality I had going up there was just to get a base hit. Luckily it turned out to be a home run."

"Angelena is one of our captains and we want her to be a big leader for us," Sullivan said of Mexicano's aggressiveness out of the gate. "To have that good first at-bat shows the confidence she has right now."

In the second game, Kisten Martin and Shanna Diller each hit grand slams as Illinois overcame an early 3-0 deficit to defeat Florida International convincingly.

Junior left fielder Makenzie Smith had the most consistent bat on the day, going a combined 4-for-8 (.500) with a double and three RBI.

Freshman Ashley Wright tossed 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball in relief in game one and gave up just two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of relief in the second game to pick up both pitching victories. Illinois won its opener for the fifth time in seven seasons and is 2-0 for the first time since 2003. The victory over Louisville also kept alive a streak of eight straight seasons in which the Illini have defeated a ranked opponent.

"Ashley was ready when called upon," Sullivan said. "The catchers also did a nice job with both of our pitchers. Vicky Brown also was throwing well in the second game."

After Louisville tied the score with an unearned run in the second inning, Illinois exploded for four runs in the third. Two hits, three walks and a two-out, three-run double by Smith off the center-field fence accounted for the four-spot. Pinch hitter Lana Armstrong picked up the other RBI by inducing a bases-loaded walk.

Louisville cut the gap to 5-2 with a run in the third before Wright came into the game in relief of Brown. After a walk to her first batter, Wright proceeded to retire the next nine in order, one on a strikeout. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native allowed just three hits in picking up her first career win.

Smith and Mexicano had five of the Illini's six hits. A sixth-inning single by Martin and a pair of Cardinal errors led to an insurance run in the sixth.

"We were definitely ready to play and it showed on the field," Mexicano said. "We feel we have what it takes to compete against ranked teams. Our goal now is just to keep it going."

Illinois suffered through some rough early moments defensively against Florida International (0-2) with three errors in the first three innings as the Golden Panthers scored three unearned runs off of Brown. The Illini had just seven hits themselves, but two of them were grand slams. The Illini also took advantage of a combined ten Florida International walks and one hit batsman.

Martin's shot over the right center field fence with two outs in the fourth helped ignite the Illinois offense and give the Illini the lead for good at 5-3.

"It think that really helped fire the team up and lift the spirits after a slow start," Martin said.

"The enthusiasm was great from the dugout all day," Sullivan added. "Then we started playing the type of Illinois softball we know we can."

The Illini got two unearned runs in the sixth and scored four more in the seventh. Back-to-back singles from Smith and Lana Armstrong and a walk to Sarah Bryers loaded the bases to the start the inning. One out later, Diller sent a shot to dead center that cleared the fence by plenty.

"I hadn't had any hits all day," Diller noted. "With the bases loaded, I just wanted to make solid contact."

The tournament continues Saturday with games against Illinois State (1-1) and No. 16 Oklahoma (2-0)