March 26, 2006

Final Stats

Palo Alto, Calif. - Illinois first baseman Jenna Hall suffered a knee injury on Friday that forced her out of of action Saturday. Hall returned in the designated player role, and a la Kirk Gibson drilled a home run over the right center field fence. The homer in the third inning gave the Illini a 3-2 to lead, but Princeton rebounded for a 4-3 victory over Illinois. That marked the second victory by Princeton over the Illini in three days. Illinois finishes the tournament 2-3 bringing its overall record to 11-15.

Illinois hit just .233 for the tournament and could manage just two hits off Princeton reliever Kris Schaus, who struck out nine in 4 1/3 innings of work. Erin Snyder, who had stymied the Illini in the circle on Friday, came through with what turned out to be a game-winning two-run home run in the fifth.

The Illini had two runners on board via walks in the seventh with one out, but Schaus retired the final two batters to close out the game.

Princeton (10-8) scored the first two runs of the game off Illini starter Kacey Coonce. Kathryn Welch belted a solo home in the first and added another in the second before leaving the bases loaded. Illini reliever Claire DeVreese gave up just three hits in tossing the final 5 1/3 innings.

Kisten Martin's two out two-run single up the middle tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the second before Hall's solo shot gave the Illini the lead. Hall reached base three of the four times up, going 2-for-3 with a walk.

The Illini play a doubleheader at Loyola on Tuesday before opening Big Ten play Friday at Eichelberger Field against Iowa.