April 8, 2001

Box Score

State College, Pa. - Illinois finished its first Big Ten road trip with a 4-2 loss at Penn State on Sunday afternoon. That gave the Illini a 1-3 record on the trip, a 33-17 record overall and a 3-5 mark in conference play.

Illinois jumped on Penn State (21-15, 3-3) early on Sunday, scoring a run in the first inning without a hit. Erin Montgomery was hit by a pitch to open the inning, stole second, advance to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly from Lindsey Hamma.

"We came out ready to play," said Illini Head Coach Terri Sullivan. "That's how you play team softball, scoring a run without a hit."

Kathryn Nevard allowed just one hit and no runs through the first two innings, but the Nittany Lions came through with five hits in four runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead. The big blows came on back-to-back doubles from the Lions' Karen Gullini and Jennifer Tripken. The latter two-bagger scored both Adrienne Manzo and Gullini to give Penn State a 2-1 lead. Allison Meddelin singled and stole second, giving runners on second and third before Erin Norton put a dagger in the Illini's hope with a two-run single.

Lindsey Hamma got the Illini to within 4-2 with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, plating Erin Montgomery, who singled to start the inning. From there, Amanda Fortune, who entered the game in relief of Nevard, allowed just one hit, one walk and no runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, Illinois had just one more hit the rest of the game as well.

"Both Kathryn and Amanda were solid today," Sullivan said. "We've got to find a way get a few more hits behind them."

Illinois had just five hits in the two games at Penn State with Montgomery the only player with more than one hit in the series.

The Illini play at Indiana State on Wednesday before hosting both Northwestern and Iowa over the weekend.