May 3, 2007

Box Score
PHOTO GALLERY

Urbana, Ill. - Claire DeVreese has been a steady force in the pitching circle for Illinois of late, routinely shutting down the opposition from the bullpen. Thursday night DeVreese, the Illinois workhorse last year, made just her second start of the season and first since Feb. 17. She was dominant for seven innings in tossing a complete game two-hit shutout of Bradley as the Illini prevailed 5-0. The game marked the end of the home regular season for the Illini.

DeVreese got out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning, but wasn't tested beyond that. She had off-season shoulder surgery and had been used sparingly for the first two months of the season with freshmen Vicky Brown and Ashley Wright. Since April 13, however, DeVreese has made 12 appearances and allowed just nine earned runs and 27 hits in 38 1/3 innings pitched for a 1.64 earned-run average in that stretch.

"Claire had excellent command of her pitches tonight," said Illinois Head Coach Terri Sullivan. "She kept Bradley off-balance and did a terrific job."

Illinois, who maintained its national lead in home runs this season, got all the runs it would need in the first inning. Angelena Mexicano led off with a single and Shanna Diller walked. Sophomore Lana Armstrong then hit one of the longest home runs in Eichelberger Field history, nailing a tree along Florida Avenue. The only question was whether the ball would remain fair, which it just did. That marked Armstrong's 15th home run of the season, one off the team lead and school record paced by Diller and Mexicano and the 83rd of the year for Illinois as a team, which is 16th on the all-time NCAA list.

Illinois added two more runs in the second inning. Freshman Hope Howell roped a triple down the right field line, scoring Molly Lawhead from first then scored on a passed ball. Lawhead, a senior playing in her final home game, was 2-for-3 on the night.

The Illini managed just two hits after the second inning as Ashley Birdsong picked up steam, but DeVreese made sure Bradley (24-21) wouldn't get any closer. She got great defense behind her in the sixth when first baseman Kisten Martin snagged a line drive and tagged the bag to double up the runner for an unassisted double play.

The win was Illinois' 30th of the season, marking the fifth time Illinois has reached that mark in the first seven years of the program. The Illini take a 30-23 overall record and 7-7 conference mark into the final series of the year, a two-game set at Iowa. The Illini will battle the Hawkeyes for fourth in the competitive Big Ten, which includes a pair of top 10 teams.