March 17, 2012
Illinois-Massachusetts Box Score | Illinois-Maryland Box Score
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Illinois softball split its USF Invitational day two doubleheader on Saturday, defeating Massachusetts, 7-2, before falling to Maryland, 5-0. The Illini came back from an early deficit against UMass, drawing a program-record 15 walks to push past the Minutewomen while freshman left fielder Alex Booker finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. The Terrapins used a four-run first inning to create the difference in the second game of the day, with the Orange and Blue unable to rally for the fourth consecutive game.
"I thought we had a great come-from-behind victory over UMass after getting behind 2-0 on [Massachusetts starting pitcher] Sara Plourde, one of best pitchers in the country," Illinois head coach Terri Sullivan said. "It could have been a momentum-changer for us, instead our lefties really did a terrific job of getting on base and leading us to a victory. We had a game plan coming into the contest that our players trusted, and Pepper [Gay] and Jackie [Guy] combined for a solid pitching performance.
"Against Maryland, after the long game against UMass, it felt we weren't quite ready in that first inning defensively with the three miscues. However, we felt we could have gotten back into the game, but didn't get the timely hit we needed to strike right back in the bottom half of that inning."
Game One: Illinois 7, Massachusetts 2
Massachusetts (9-8) opened with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Leadoff batter Cyndil Matthew walked, Quianna Diaz-Patterson followed with a single up the middle and Lindsey Webster doubled both runners in two batters later for the 2-0 advantage.
Illinois used a three-run fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the frame, despite not recording a hit. Sophomore catcher Jenna Mychko led off with a walk and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Jami Schkade at first. Two batters later, redshirt-junior Jessica Davis drew the second walk of the frame to move Schkade to second before senior third baseman Kelley Wedel walked to load the bases. With two-time NFCA All-American and UMass starting pitcher Sara Plourde in the circle, Schkade raced home on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to one run.
Two batters later, Booker reached on a fielding error by Minutewomen third baseman Teea Rogers, allowing Davis to score to tie the contest, 2-2, while Wedel moved to third. During senior right fielder Nikki Simpson's at bat that followed, Booker safely took off for second base, drawing the throw from the catcher, Stephanie Mayne.
The Orange and Blue added one more run in the top of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Redshirt-senior Danielle Vaji drew a walk and raced home for Illinois' fourth run when senior first baseman Meredith Hackett followed with a double to the fencing in left-center field.
The Illini turned the contest into a rout with three more runs in the seventh, reaching the final score of 7-2. Freshman designated player Jess Perkins and Davis opened with back-to-back walks, the fourth issued to Davis on the day. After Perkins was tagged out at third on a fielder's choice off Wedel's bat, freshman center fielder Brittany Sanchez drew the third walk of the inning to load the bases. Booker followed by knocking an RBI-single to shortstop, scoring Davis as Booker beat out the throw to first base.
Now ahead, 5-2, with the bases loaded, Wedel was caught trying to reach home on a wild pitch for the second out, with Booker and Sanchez each moving up one base on the play. With runners on second and third, Simpson delivered a two-run double to right-center field, capping scoring in the process.
Junior Jackie Guy got the start in the circle for Illinois, tossing three innings while allowing two runs on four hits and three walks to go with two strikeouts. Classmate Pepper Gay took over at pitcher following the three-run top-of-the-fourth, earning the win with four innings of shutout relief, holding UMass to a pair of hits and two walks while setting down three on strikes.
Plourde took the loss for the Minutewomen, issuing 15 walks and four hits while striking out 10. Plourde's walks allowed total is the most walks drawn in a single game by an Illini team in program history, with the previous record of 12 coming from the Northwestern pitching staff on April 25, 2009.
Game Two: Maryland 5, Illinois 0
A four-run top-of-the-first for Maryland created the difference in the contest, with the Terrapins opening scoring on a dropped fly ball by Simpson that plated the first two runs. Maryland doubled its lead during its next at bat, when Lexi Carroll grounded a ball to Vaji at second vase. Vaji threw home looking to catch Nikki Maier sprinting toward the plate from third; however, Mychko dropped the throw and the ball rolled away to the backstop, allowing Maier and Candice Beards to score.
Maryland added a fifth run in the sixth inning to take a 5-0 lead. With two outs and Sloane Van Meter on second, Vangie Galindo lined a single into right field. While Van Meter scored ahead of the throw from Simpson, catcher Stephanie Cuevas threw Galindo out trying to advance to second, with Davis applying the tag to end the inning.
Illinois (12-10) had chances to rally throughout, putting runners on base during every inning. The best scoring opportunity of the evening came with two on and no one out in the first frame. Simpson drew a leadoff walk before Vaji singled through the left side. Hackett flied out to center for the first out before both runners moved up on a double-steal of second and third. Now with both runners in scoring position and one down, Mychko and Perkins grounded out in back-to-back at bats to end the threat.
The Illini also stranded two runners in the second. With one out, Wedel knocked a single through the middle of the infield. Two batters later, Booker singled to shortstop and moved to second when Maryland shortstop Bree Hanafin threw the ball away, with Wedel advancing to third on the play. However, Simpson struck out swinging as the next batter to conclude the frame.
Gay took the loss in the circle, falling to 8-3 on the season. The Avondale Estates, Ga., native allowed four unearned runs on five hits and two walks, striking out four. Kaitlyn Schmeiser earned the victory for the Terrapins, going six innings while holding Illinois to five hits and two walks. Kendra Knight tossed the seventh inning for Maryland, issuing a walk to Vaji - the second batter of the inning - before settling in to close the game.
Illinois returns to action with the final contest of the USF Invitational, battling Tennessee-Chattanooga at 10:15 CT on Sunday.
