April 13, 2007
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
PHOTO GALLERY
Urbana, Ill. -
The number 13 was indeed lucky for Illinois against Michigan State. Shanna Diller had three home runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Spartans, giving her 13 home runs for the season. Angelena Mexicano had a homer in each game to give her 13 for the year. The duo each tied the single-season home run record of 13 set last season by Jenna Hall. The Illini won both games of the twin bill by the same 9-6 score. In the first game, the teams combined for 13 hits. In the second game, the Illini had 13 hits themselves. Yes, all this on Friday the 13th.
In all seriousness though, the Illini, which came in as the nation's leader in home runs per game and slugging percentage, were just anxious to get back to the field after a 12-day lay-off due to weather issues. And the fans at Eichelberger Field wanted to get a look for themselves at this team that has made the softball world take notice with its home run capability.
What has made this line-up so dangerous has been that everyone in the line-up has the ability to hit the long ball. This was evident on Friday as six different players went yard and Illinois hit nine home runs as a team, giving the Illini 69 homers for the season. In addition to Hall's record, those Illinois players could break the five-year old Big Ten home record of 16.
"The exciting part is our entire line-up is doing good things," said Illinois head coach Terri Sullivan. "It's fun to come to work with them every day. They kept such a positive attitude during the time not playing. They were really anxious to get back on the field and perform."
Michigan State answered Illinois nearly blow for blow much of the night, especially in the first game, when they came back from a 6-3 deficit with three runs in the top of the fifth to tie the score at 6-6. Michigan State had four home runs itself on the night, and two players, Nikki Nikosia and Meghan Darhower, hit their first home runs of the season - all on a night where the air was heavy and the winds were virtually non-existent.
"Michigan State fought hard too," Sullivan pointed out. "In this conference, it's just not over until the final at-bat. "We knew we had to stay really focused."
To illustrate Sullivan's point, in the other three conference games on Friday, three teams came back from multiple-run deficits with runs in their final at-bat to send their games into extra innings. One of those games went 10 innings, the other two nine.
Diller had two of her home runs in the first game, one in the first inning, the other a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth, which helped erase a 3-2 MSU deficit.
After Michigan State tied the game on a two-run shot by Caitlin Mahoney, designated player Sydney Lisy gave Illinois the lead for good in the fifth inning with a solo shot down the right field line, her sixth of the year, to make it 7-6. Mexicano added a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth for good measure.
Not to be lost in all the offense was the job the team of pitchers did in finally shutting down the Spartan offense. In the opener Claire DeVreese (2-2) tossed two innings of perfect softball in picking up the save and then gave up just two runs in relief in game two in recording the victory. Vicky Brown, whose win in the opener improved her record to 15-5 on the year, returned the favor by saving the game in the second game, tossing two innings of three-hit shutout softball.
"Claire's biggest growth is as a leader," said Sullivan of DeVreese, who recovered from off-season shoulder surgery and has seen less innings as a result. "When she gets a chance to get the ball, she's ready and is understanding of her role. I'm impressed with how she threw tonight."
In the second game, Illinois jumped to a 6-1 lead then held on to post the victory. Lana Armstrong notched her 12th home run of the season in the first inning, and the Illini added five runs in the second. Mexicano and Makenzie Smith hit blasts to highlight that inning. For Smith, that was her 10th on the season.
Doubles from Dayna Feenstra and Gina Mondo highlighted a three-run second for MSU to cut the deficit to 6-4. Michigan State never did tie the game as Sarah Bryers hit her third homer of the year in the third inning and Diller led off the sixth with a solo shot to center.
"The biggest growth we have had has been the mental side of the game," Sullivan said of this year's team, which passed the win total for all of last year with the victories. "Confidence is always half the battle. Lana Armstrong and Makenzie Smith came out storming in the first couple of weeks of the season to set the tone and everyone else just has believed in their offensive abilities."
Not to be overlooked is the impact the victories had on the Big Ten race. The Illini, 25-14 overall, improve to 4-2 in the conference to remain in fifth place, but just 1 ½ games behind Ohio State in the league race. Michigan State falls to 20-19, 0-4 in the league. The Illinois offense will get a big test Sunday as eighth-ranked Michigan come to town for a doubleheader on Sunday.
