LEXINGTON, Ky. – It was a day of highs and lows as the Illinois softball season came to a close in the NCAA Lexington Softball Regional with a hard-fought 3-2 setback in eight innings to No. 9 seed and host Kentucky, but not before the Illini earned an extra inning 2-1 walk-off win over Butler earlier in the day on a rainy Saturday (May 21) evening at John Cropp Stadium.
The Illini end the first season under head coach Tyra Perry with a 36-23 record, the fifth-most wins in program history and their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2010 and fifth overall trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats improve to 45-13 and advance to Sunday's Championship game against Utah, who defeated UK, 3-0, earlier on Saturday.
The Illini will bid farewell to five seniors, Allie Bauch, Kylie Johnson, Remeny Perez, Danielle Trezzo and Nicole Tobon, who in their time in the Orange and Blue have won 108 games, advanced to the Big Ten Tournament all four years, and led the 2016 team to one of most successful seasons in Illini softball history.
Illinois 2, Butler 1
After 16-straight innings without scoring a run, the Illini finally broke through in the bottom of the third as junior Nicole Evans bombed a double to the centerfield fence to plate classmate Alyssa Gunther from second. Gunther started the rally with an infield single earlier in the frame.
The Bulldogs evened the score at 1-1 in the fourth after a pair of hits put runners at the corners, before an Illini throwing error brought home the unearned run.
With neither team able to push a run a across over the next three innings, the 1-1 game moved into extra innings where Gunther and Evans came up big again for the Illini. Following a leadoff single by the first baseman, Evans delivered a walk off win to the Orange and Blue with her second double of the game, this time down the left field line, to bringing home Gunther and keeping the Illinois season alive.
The Illini outhit the Bulldogs, 8-7, with Gunther registering a 3-for-4 effort with two runs and Evans contributing two hits and two RBI in the win.
Junior Jade Vecvanags (14-10) pitched all eight innings for the Illini, limiting Butler to just one unearned run on seven hits and two walks, while equaling her season high with six strikeouts in the complete game.
Mikeila Boroff (10-5) gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks and struck out two in seven innings pitched.
Kentucky 3, Illinois 2
The Illini offense continued where it left off against the No. 9 seed and host Wildcats, striking quickly with a pair of runs for a 2-0 lead in the first frame. Bauch started things off with a leadoff double to right center and was brought home two batters later on an Evans single to centerfield. After a single from junior Ruby Rivera and a hit-by-pitch to allow Trezzo to reach base and load the bases, redshirt-sophomore Emily Brodner earned an RBI with a walk to score sophomore pinch runner Jill Nicklas.
UI held onto its 2-0 advantage until the fourth when UK knocked an RBI single through the right side from Christian Stokes to cut the lead to one.
For the second-straight game, the Illini would go to extra innings as the Wildcats evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the seventh inning on a Katie Reed RBI single to centerfield following a leadoff single from Stokes.
The Wildcats looked to be in business with a leadoff single and a fielder's choice that was called safe put two runners on with no outs, but the Illini defense rallied again as Brooklin Hinz lined into a double play to put the Illini one out away from advancing to Championship Sunday. Stokes then answered again for her team with a game-winning RBI double to right field, bringing Cheek around to score the go-ahead run.
Evans opened the bottom of the eighth with her second hit of the night, a single down the left field line, but pinch runner Nicklas was left stranded as the Illini season ended with the final out.
The Illini collected six hits to Kentucky's nine, with Evans pacing the UI offense again with a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI and a run scored.
Junior Breanna Wonderly (16-13) went the distance for the Illini, allowing three runs on nine hits and three walks in eight innings of work.
Kelsey Nunley (21-6) earned the win for UK after entering the game in the first inning and holding the Illini scoreless on only three hits and one walk, while striking out nine in 7.1 innings. Meagan Prince started for the Wildcats, but was pulled after giving up two runs on three hits and a walk in 0.2 innings.
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