March 18, 2007
Final Stats
Sacramento, Calif. -
Angelena Mexicano was 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI. A pretty good line for a game, but Mexicano had those numbers in the first inning. Mexicano's performance came in a wild first inning that saw the Illini send 21 batters to the plate and score 16 runs on 14 hits in an 18-3 victory over host Sacramento State. Illinois completed a 5-0 weekend to claim the 15-team Capital Classic championship. Illinois moves its win streak to six and improves its overall record to 16-9. Sacramento State falls to 6-18.
The numbers of the inning are almost surreal. The first 11 batters reached base and all 16 runs were earned. Every batter in the Illinois line-up had a hit in that inning and center fielder Sarah Bryers added a three-run homer of her own.
Mexicano led off the game with a home run, Shanna Diller doubled, Makenzie Smith doubled, Lana Armstrong walked, Kisten Martin delivered a two-run double, Sydney Lisy singled to right. Molly Lawhead singled up the middle scoring two, Bryers reached on a fielder's choice forcing Sac State starter Brittani Clifford from the game without recording an out.
The hitting didn't stop there. Hope Howell singled in a run, then Mexicano belted a three-run home run to left, her second of the inning, to make it 10-0. Diller walked, all before the first out was recorded. Illinois would add six more runs in a half inning that lasted 39 minutes. Mexicano added a third-inning double to finish 4-for-4. Her 11 total bases are a new Illinois individual game record and the 18 runs scored overall tie for fourth in a game in Illini history.
The victory capped an incredible offensive weekend for Illinois. In five games and 26 innings at the plate, the Illini out-scored opponents 58-7 and batted .430 with 13 doubles, 14 home runs and 21 walks for an .817 slugging percentage and a .497 on-base percentage. Eight starters hit .300 or better with six topping .400, three over .500 and one, Lana Armstrong (.643), over .600.
Individually, three players had slugging percentages over 1.000 for the weekend --, Mexicano (11-for-19, 4 HR, 4 2B, 6 RBI, 1.421 SLUG), Armstrong (2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1.214 SLUG), and Diller (9-for-18, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1.111 SLUG).
Illinois has a busy week ahead, traveling to No. 17 Illinois State Tuesday, hosting Illinois-Chicago Wednesday and traveling to the Diamond Devil Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., over the weekend where the Illini will meet among others No. 4 Arizona State.
