April 29, 2007
Final Stats
Evanston, Ill. -
Illinois traveled to Evanston Sunday to face No. 9 Northwestern, a team knowing it needed two victories to keep a Big Ten title alive. Northwestern responded with a doubleheader sweep over the Illini, winning the first game 12-4 in five innings and capturing the second game 5-0.
Illinois battled the Wildcats tooth and nail for four innings of game one, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and trailing just 5-4 going into the bottom of the fifth. The Wildcats, however, scored seven runs in the inning to win by the run rule.
The Illini scored their two first-inning runs on two walks and four Eileen Canney wild pitches. The Wildcats added a run in the first, three in the second and one in the third to take a 5-2 lead. The Wildcats' Garland Cooper nailed her Big Ten record 21st home run of the season, a three-run shot in the second.
Illinois battled back with three hits and two runs in the fourth. Katrina Ross doubled and Sarah Bryers and Angelena Mexicano had RBI doubles to close the gap to 5-4.
Those would be the only three hits for Illinois on the day as the Wildcats Lauren Delaney tossed a no-hitter in the second game, striking out ten.
Northwestern sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth inning of game one, scoring seven runs on six hits. Nicole Pauley had two of her three RBI on a single in that inning, while Cooper added an RBI single as well.
Illinois pitchers Ashley Wright and Claire DeVreese combined to allow just six hits in the second game, but the Wildcats took advantage to score in four innings. Delaney, meanwhile, allowed just two base runners on a walk and an error.
Illinois (29-23 overall) remains in the fifth-place in the Big Ten with a 7-7 record, just a game behind Iowa (9-7) for fourth. Those two teams square off next weekend in Iowa City in the final two Big Ten games of the year. The Illini are assured of a spot in the eight-team single-elimination Big Ten Tournament. The conference tournament, which is at the conference champion, will either be at Ohio State or Northwestern. The Wildcats (41-10) have completed their conference schedule 15-3. First place Ohio State (12-2) needs to sweep Penn State to host the tournament. One loss in the two-game series means that Northwestern would host.
