Feb. 19, 2012
Box Score
Interviews: Pepper Gay | Meredith Hackett | Terri Sullivan
AUSTIN, Texas - Illinois softball tallied its first walk-off victory of the season on Sunday morning, battling past Pittsburgh, 1-0, on a run-scoring single from senior first baseman Meredith Hackett in the bottom of the seventh. The win avenged an extra-innings loss to the Panthers, suffered on Friday during the opening day of competition at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational, while Hackett raised her season batting average to .400 (8-for-20) with the winning base knock.
"I felt good [during the seventh inning at bat]," Hackett said. "They weren't pitching to me today, but they came at me with a strike. We've been having a hard time going with pitches, but that was what I needed to do in that situation and that's what I was looking for."
Illinois broke through in the bottom of the seventh to earn win, improving to 3-5 overall in the process. With one away, senior third baseman Kelley Wedel connected for a double into the right-center field gap before redshirt-junior shortstop Jessica Davis drew a walk to put runners on first and second for Hackett. After Pittsburgh starting pitcher Savannah King threw outside to Hackett throughout the contest, the Corona, Calif., native took advantage of a pitch over the plate - sending a looping line drive down the right field line to score Wedel from second and secure the victory.
"We were right where we wanted to be [with the lineup in the seventh inning]," Illinois head coach Terri Sullivan said. "That's our upperclassmen, they've have been hitting together and playing together for considerable time. We felt they could get the job done and I believe in everyone in our lineup."
The Illini opened with a bases-loaded, two out opportunity in the first inning. With two away, Hackett drew a four-pitch walk and freshman right fielder Jess Perkins followed with a single to shortstop. After redshirt-senior designated player Danielle Vaji reached on a full-count walk, freshman second baseman Jami Schkade grounded out to King to strand the runners.
Illinois earned another great scoring opportunity in the fifth inning, with a pair of runners reaching as far as third. Wedel reached on an error, moved to second on a walk issued to Davis and moved to third on a groundout by Hackett. When Perkins followed with a ground ball to second, Wedel hustled toward home. As the Anaheim, Calif., native raced toward the plate, Pittsburgh second baseman Kristen Cheesebrew fired home to catcher Holly Stevens, who had the plate blocked to keep Wedel from scoring. With Davis on third and Perkins on first following the play, Vaji grounded out to King to end the threat.
Pittsburgh (1-2 overall) was able to put runners on, but Illinois junior starting pitcher Pepper Gay responded during each frame to hold the Panthers without a run. In the second, Kelly Hmiel led off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt; however, Gay settled in to earn a pop out by King before setting down Carissa Throckmorton on strikes to end the inning.
Two innings later, Holly Stevens walked and Hmiel was struck by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no one out. With Pittsburgh primed to break the scoreless tie, Gay earned a foul out behind the plate to catcher Stephanie Cuevas before King struck out swinging and Throckmorton grounded out to Schkade. Down to their final at bats in the seventh frame, Throckmorton knocked a one-out double to the right-center field wall only to have Gay set down pinch-hitter Keli Gaynor and shortstop Niki Cognigni on strikes to send the game to the bottom of the seventh, 0-0.
Gay was dominant throughout the contest to lower her season ERA to 1.38, holding the Panthers to a pair of hits and three walks while striking out six batters. The Avondale Estates, Ga., native improves to 2-1 on the season, with two complete-game shutouts and 28 punchouts in 25 1/3 innings of work.
"This was the second game this season that we needed to win with solid pitching and defense and we did that," Sullivan continued. "It was a great performance from Pepper [Gay] on the mound."
