March 20, 2015
Urbana, Ill. - Nicole Evans gave the Illini an early lead with a solo home run, but a nine-run third inning by the Golden Gophers was too much for the Illini to overcome, as No. 15 Minnesota took the Big Ten season opener, 14-2, in five innings. The win marked Minnesota's 11th straight, improving to 25-4 (1-0 Big Ten), while Illinois drops to 8-17 (0-1 Big Ten).
Alyssa Gunther led the Illini at the plate with two of Illinois' four hits, while Brittany Sanchez hit a single after Evans' long ball in the second inning. Allie Bauch walked in her first two plate appearances to extend her reached-base streak to a team-best 15 games, then scored the Illini's final run in the fifth. Sam Acosta drew her first career walk as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth, and Nicole Tobon picked up an RBI.
After facing the nation's leading strikeout pitcher on Tuesday, Illinois took the plate against the hurler with the second-most K's in the NCAA, reigning Big Ten Pitcher and Freshman of the Year Sara Groenewegen. The sophomore (16-2) allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over the first three innings, and Nikki Anderson gave up an unearned run off one hit over two innings of relief.
Jade Vecvanags (2-5) got the starting nod for the Illini in the circle, but after two scoreless innings, she left with one out in the third, having allowed six runs on four hits and two walks. Breanna Wonderly closed out the third, giving up three unearned runs on two hits, and Kate Giddens surrendered the final five runs on five hits and three walks over two full frames.
Evans opened the scoring in the bottom of the second, leading off the inning with a solo shot to left, her ninth bomb of the year and the first ball out of the park at Eichelberger Field this season.
The Golden Gophers replied in the top of the third, however, using three home runs to take a 9-1 lead over the Illini, chasing Vecvanags from the circle after the first six runs. Tyler Walker started the rally by looping a line drive over the wall in left center for a two-run homer. A hit batter and a single up the middle put a pair on for Groenewegen, who clocked one out of the park in left to make it 5-1 Minnesota.
After a four-pitch walk to Hannah Granger, Vecvanags was replaced in the circle by Wonderly. She got Danielle Parlich to hit a grounder to second, but Bauch couldn't get the ball out of her glove, allowing her to reach safely. Taylor LeMay then ripped a two-run single to right, and Paige Palkovich drilled the third home run of the inning to straightaway center to make it 9-1 Golden Gophers before a lineout finally ended the frame.
The first two Illini reached base in the bottom of the third, but Groenewegen struck out the next three batters to keep the Orange and Blue from battling back.
Minnesota added to its lead in the top of the fourth, as Groenewegen hit her second three-run shot of the game to make it 12-1. Walker went deep again to lead off the fifth, and a pinch hit RBI single by Sydney Dwyer pushed Minnesota's lead to 14-1 before the final out of the inning.
Down to their final three outs, the Illini refused to throw in the towel, loading the bases on an error, a single by Gunther, and Acosta's first-ever walk. Tobon then recorded an RBI groundout, scoring Bauch, before Evans grounded out for the final out of the game, leaving a final score of 14-2.
"We allowed the one big inning and let the long ball beat us," said head coach Terri Sullivan. "It is a series and we will come out aggressive tomorrow."
The Big Ten opening series continues on Saturday, March 21, with game two against Minnesota at 1 p.m.
