March 30, 2009
Iowa, Wisconsin Game Notes 
ILLINOIS AT #24 IOWA
Wednesday, April 1 • 5 p.m. (DH)
Iowa City, Iowa • Pearl Field
Live on the Big Ten Network
Gametracker available at fightingillini.com
ILLINOIS AT WISCONSIN
Saturday, April 4 • 2 p.m.
Sunday, April 5 • 2 p.m.
Madison, Wis. • Goodman Softball Complex
Gametracker available at fightingillini.com
Top of The Order
Illinois is...
12-2 when scoring first
13-1 when leading after four innings
5-0 in one-run games
4-0 in extra-inning games
Leading Off
Best in the U.S.: Second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz was unstoppable last week, batting .900 while slugging 1.500 through three games to earn USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week and Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors. She became the first Illini to earn the national award, while it marks her second weekly conference award this season, sharing the honor with Northwestern's Kelly Dyer. The West Hills, Calif., native went 8-for-8 with five RBIs and five runs in Illinois' sweep of Penn State.
A Perfect Start: With the series opening sweep against Penn State, the Illini got off to a 2-0 start in Big Ten play. It marked the first time since 2001 Illinois has started conference action with back-to-back wins and Saturday's win over Michigan State gave Illinois its best conference start in history.
We Laugh in the Face of Pressure: Illinois has come up with some key hits in crucial situations this year to make its best start in history. The Illini are batting .325 with two outs and runners in scoring position. In fact, 10 of Illinois' 22 home runs have come with two outs. Pinchback leads the way, batting an astounding .700 while slugging 1.300 in the situation.
Sweet 18: The 18-15 slugfest between Penn State and Illinois set multiple records. It marked the highest-scoring contest in Big Ten history and in Illini program history. The 18 runs tied the most at Eichelberger Field, set against Illinois-Chicago in 2007. Additionally, Illinois' 18 hits are the most ever on its home turf.
Pinchback Strikes Back: Leftfielder Hollie Pinchback lit up the scoreboard last week, driving in home runs in back-to-back games. She slugged 1.222 while batting .556 to earn her first Big Ten Player of the Week award, the fourth time an Illini has received the conference weekly honor this season. She belted a solo shot, her second of the season against No. 23 DePaul before launching her first career grand slam against Michigan State. It was her fourth game in a row to drive in at least one run. Pinchback's slam marks the fourth of the season for the Illini, tying the season high set in 2006.
Katrina Slams Midwest: Designated player Katrina Ross went on a tear last week through the Land of Lincoln, belting a home run in three straight games. At Illinois State, Ross smashed her first career grand slam, collecting five RBIs en route to Illinois' 11-3 win. She followed that performance in the home opener, going yard during the Illini's five long ball inning against Penn State and wrapped up the series with her second slam of the season. The Graham, Wash., native became just the third Illini in history to have two grand slams in the same season, along with Angelena Mexicano and Kisten Martin.
Yard Work: Trailing 3-1 in the sixth against Penn State, the Illini did some major yard work on the Nittany Lions. Illinois went deep five times in the inning, setting a new school record. First baseman Meredith Hackett started the trend, follwed by Ross and shortstop Ashley Conrad. Zymkowitz and rightfielder Hope Howell rounded out the home run derby.
Climbing the Career Charts: Catcher Lana Armstrong and Howell have begun a steady ascent up the Illinois career record book this season. Armstrong is third in slugging percentage (.548), fourth with 29 home runs and 134 RBIs, and fifth in doubles (37). Howell currently ranks sixth in average (.308) and fifth in on-base percentage (.393).
Opponents at a Glance
Iowa: The Hawkeyes opened Big Ten action with a split against No. 15 Ohio State. Iowa dropped the first decision to the Buckeyes, 3-0, before bouncing back with a 12-4 win to wrap up the series. The Hawkeyes are led by Chelsey Carmody batting .356, while Colleen McGlaughin isn't far behind with a .349 average. McGlaughin is the team's leading RBI-getter with 34. Iowa has a pair of aces in the circle in Brittany Weil and Amanda Zust. Weil is 13-6 with a 1.14 ERA while Zust is 14-1 with a 1.39 ERA.
Wisconsin: The Badgers picked up their first Big Ten win last weekend after knocking off Indiana, 5-4. Jennifer Krueger leads the way for Wisconsin, batting .345, while Letty Olivarez has a team-leading 15 RBIs. In the circle, Olivarez has seen the most action with an 8-15 record and 2.57 ERA.
Review
Illinois continued the home stretch with three more games last week. The Illini got things rolling with a 7-4 extra-inning win over Loyola Chicago, thanks to rightfielder Hope Howell's walk-off three-run homer. The 11-inning affair tied the second longest game in history and marked the fourth victory this season for Illinois in extras.
After dropping a 6-2 decision to No. 23 DePaul, the Illini got back on track with their third straight Big Ten win, a 13-3 pounding of Michigan State. Leftfielder Hollie Pinchback went 2-for-2 on the day with a grand slam and three runs. The 3-0 conference record is the best start for the Illini in program history.
