April 28, 2002
Final Stats
Urbana, Ill. -
The Illinois softball team came to Eichelberger Field Sunday knowing they would likely need a doubleheader sweep of visiting Michigan State to stay alive for a Big Ten Tournament bid. That's exactly what the Illini got with a pair of wins over the Spartans by identical 3-2 scores.
The Illini are now 30-20 overall, 8-9 in the Big Ten and in eighth place, but just a game behind Minnesota for sixth with two games to go. Illinois hosts Purdue in a two-game series next weekend after traveling to No. 18 DePaul on Tuesday.
"The game plan for today was play aggressively and to take two," said Illinois Head Coach Terri Sullivan. "We accomplished both of our goals."
Michigan State out-hit the Illini 9-4 in the first game, but Illinois took advantage of two walks from Becky Gray. In the second inning, Erin Montgomery led off with a walk and scored on a Katie O'Connell double to right field.
The Spartans went in front 2-1 with a pair of runs in the third. First baseman Natalie Furrow singled home Sandy Lewis, who reached on a triple to center. Furrow scored on a two-out double from the next hitter Robyn Golden, which nearly cleared the right field fence.
Illinois regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third. A two-out walk to Lindsey Hamma by Gray proved costly as the next batter Janna Sartini belted a two-run homer to right field, taking advantage of gusting winds to that part of the field. Sherri Taylor allowed just three base hits in the following three innings and struck out four for the game to improve to 16-15 on the season.
In the second game, Illinois took advantage of four Michigan State errors to score three unearned runs. In the first inning, Katie O'Connell came through with a two-out bases loaded single, which scored Erin Jones. Lindsey Hamma also scored when the throw from the right fielder got away, making it 2-0 Illinois.
Michigan State cut the lead in half with a lead-off solo home run from Lewis. Illinois scored a run in the second. LeeAnn Butcher and Lauren Gronski each had singles, and the Illini took advantage of a throwing error to make it 3-1.
Abby Lovejoy allowed just one more run from there, on a two-out single by Michigan State's Angel Merren. Lovejoy retired 16 of the last 18 batters she faced and had three of her five strikeouts in the third to improve to 10-1 on the season.
"Today may be the best game Abby has pitched," said Sullivan. "She had a lot of good ball movement. After the first inning, she was ahead of the count, which is what I like to see our pitchers do."
