The Fighting Illini began their annual Orange and Blue World Series this past weekend, with the first two games of a best-of-five intrasquad series. The Orange team, coached by Donna DiBiase and Katie O'Connell topped Jeremy Manley's Blue team in game one, 5-4, but Blue came out on top in a slugfest on Sunday, 13-10.

The Orange team put up a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth to erase a 4-1 deficit. Annie Fleming had giving the Blue team the lead with a two-run double in the top of the fourth, but a three-run home run by Nicole Evans in the fifth led Orange to the one-run victory, 5-4.

Junior Nicole Tobon exploded in game two by going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs to lead the Blue team to a come-from-behind victory. Senior pitcher Shelese Arnold, who has just three career at-bats as an Illini, went 4-for-4 with a home run for the Orange team in the game.

The Illini conclude the fall season next weekend, Oct. 10-11, with the remainder of the Orange and Blue World Series.