April 13, 2002
Final Stats
Urbana, Ill. -
Illinois Head Coach Terri Sullivan stressed the importance of knowing you can come from behind following her team's 9-4, eight-inning victory over Indiana on Saturday afternoon. The Illini fell behind 4-1, chipped away, and won the game with five runs in the eighth inning.
The game didn't start so promising for the Illini when Brooke Monroe led off the Indiana first with a solo homerun. The Hoosiers added two more in the second, to go in front 3-0, forcing Illini starter Sherri Taylor from the game. Abby Lovejoy came in relief to pitch the final six innings, giving up just three hits and walking none in holding the Hoosiers to just one run from there.
The Illini scored one run in each of the third through sixth innings. Lindsey Hamma singled home Kristie Sauter in the third. Erin Montgomery nearly put one out of the park, tripling off the top of the fence and scoring when the throw trying to get her at third sailed wide.
Illinois had five base runners in each of the next two innings, put managed just one run apiece. Katie O'Connell singled and scored on a ground out in the fifth then drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The Illini had another runner trying to advance to second thrown out to end the rally, but the game had been tied.
After Lovejoy retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh (Indiana was the home team in the second game of a Big Ten series), the floodgates opened for the Illini in the top of the eighth. Once again Katie O'Connell came through with a bases loaded double, scoring both Lauren Gronski and LeeAnn Butcher. Erin Jones singled home another run in the five-run eighth.
Lovejoy again retired the side in the eighth to close out her seventh victory without a loss. O'Connell, who had a big week in four games against Indiana State and Indiana, was again one of the heroes on Saturday. She was 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Butcher, who beat out a chopper on the infield in the eighth and Lauren Gronski had two hits apiece as the Illini pounded out 13 hits for the game.
Illinois moves to 5-5 in the Big Ten and 25-16 overall and is a perfect 4-0 on the week. The Illini next meet Ball State Tuesday at Eichelberger Field for a doubleheader.
