North Dakota State Spoils Illini's Home Opener

March 17, 2015

Urbana, Ill. - The Fighting Illini softball team hosted North Dakota State this afternoon in the Orange and Blue's 2015 home opener at Eichelberger Field. Despite a solid defensive outing, Illinois' offense was unable to back Jade Vecvanags' quality start, as the Illini dropped their first home game of the season, 3-0. With the win, the Bison improve to 18-5, while Illinois slips to 8-16.

"First, we have to give credit to North Dakota State and (Krista) Menke," said head coach Terri Sullivan. "When she needed a big strikeout, she got it. There is a reason she leads the nation in K's. We had some quality at-bats, but needed to be more aggressive at the plate today.

"We are very pleased with the steps we took, however, in not allowing a big inning and in managing the game. That was in large part because of Jade's pitching performance and some big strikeouts she got for us. She is feeling very good and there is no better time for her to get going."

Illinois collected six hits in the game, including a 2-for-3 performance by Alyssa Gunther and a double by Allie Bauch, but Bison hurler Krista Menke, who entered the week leading the NCAA in strikeouts, rang up 10 Illini hitters without surrendering a walk, to keep Illinois from passing second base.

Jade Vecvanags went the distance in the circle for the Illini, allowing nine hits and five walks, but registering a career-high seven strikeouts to force the Bison to leave 11 players on base, including nine in scoring position. Additionally, she appeared in the offensive lineup, and was the only Illini to get a hit with a runner on base, hitting a two-out single after Jess Perkins singled in the second inning.

Vecvanags pitched herself out of a bases-loaded jam with a pair of strikeouts to end the second inning, but the Bison cracked the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the third. Alex Sobrero got it started by beating out an infield single. She advanced to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch, and Cheyenne Garcia drove her in on a ground out to short. Alyssa Reina clocked a double off the wall in left center and scored on the following play on gutsy baserunning after Garcia was thrown out at the plate ahead of her.

North Dakota State threatened again in the top of the fourth, getting the first two runners on and using a sacrifice bunt to move them into scoring position, but Vecvanags drew back-to-back comebackers to strand the pair.

The Bison tacked on an insurance run in the top of the fifth, as Amanda Grable led off with a double to right center, and Maritza Lopez-Portillo drove her in with an RBI single to make it 3-0 NDSU.

Bauch led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to the corner in right, extending her reached-base streak to 14 games, but her teammates were unable to advance her, as the Illini returned to the dugout still scoreless, and a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh for Menke sealed up the 3-0 victory.

Illinois continues its homestand this weekend with a three-game series against No. 16 Minnesota.

"We are very excited to begin our Big Ten schedule and ready to continue elevating our level of play," said Sullivan. "We will need to do that in our series opener with one of the hottest teams out there; challenge always brings opportunity!"

The Illini's Big Ten opener is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20. The series continues at 1 p.m. Saturday and concludes at Noon on Sunday.