March 31, 2015Urbana, Ill. - The Fighting Illini completed a perfect 4-0 homestand with a walk-off 5-4 victory over in-state rival Illinois State. The Orange and Blue offense was bookended by home runs from Allie Bauch and Ruby Rivera in the first and last at-bats of the game, as Illinois erased a 4-1 deficit to top the Redbirds with a game-winning bomb. The win lifts the Illini to 12-20, while ISU falls to 16-19.
"Jade really responded after the third inning and came out and pitched aggressive the rest of the way through," said head coach Terri Sullivan. "Our defense gave us some quick innings, and Ruby took things into her own hands in the seventh--that's what big time players do. ISU is tough, poised and never gives up. We needed to stick to our plan."
Rivera reached base in all four plate appearances, with two walks, an RBI single and the game-winning home runs. Bauch started the Illini offense with a leadoff home run in the first, and also walked and scored in the fifth. Carly Thomas, Annie Fleming and Kylie Johnson collected the remaining three Illini hits.
Jade Vecvanags (6-7) captured her fourth straight victory in the complete game, allowing three runs on four hits and two walk with two strikeouts. After giving up four runs in the top of the third, the sophomore hurler retired 12 of the final 13 batters, surrendering a two-out single in the fifth for the final Redbird baserunner of the game
Sarah Finck got the start for Illinois State, and allowed the first four runs, two earned, on four hits and three walks over four-and-a-third innings with two strikeouts. McKensie Vissering (1-7) took over in the fifth, but allowed the game winning home run as one of two hits with no walks and one K over the final two-and-a-third.
Stephanie Gallant led the Redbirds at the plate, grabbing two of the team's four hits, including a two-run double.
In a bout of déjà vu, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week Allie Bauch led off the first inning with a solo home run, marking the sixth time in her career she has done so, including the last time she faced the Redbirds in 2014.
Illinois State threatened in the bottom of the second, getting a pair in scoring position thanks to a double by Payton Billups, but two quick outs including a great play by Brittany Sanchez on a sinking liner in right kept the Redbirds off the board.
Nevertheless, ISU took over the lead with a four spot in the top of the third. A single, a catcher's interference call and a walk loaded the bases, and another walk tied the score at one. Gallant put her team ahead with a two-run double off the wall in left, and a sacrifice fly made it 4-1 ISU.
Illinois had a shot get some runs back in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with two outs with the help of a two-base error by Finck, but the Orange and Blue were unable to capitalize, stranding three.
The Illini tied the score in the bottom of the fifth with three runs on two hits and an error. Fleming got the ball rolling with a laser to center for a leadoff single. Bauch walked, then Alyssa Gunther hit a spinning nubber which the first baseman could not handle, allowing Johnson to score. An RBI single by Rivera pulled the Illini within one, then Jess Perkins tied the school record with her seventh career sacrifice fly to send Gunther home and knot the score at four.
Thomas led off the sixth with a single to right, but was stranded on third, as the pair headed to the final inning still tied at four.
After another perfect inning for Vecvanags in the top of the seventh, the Illini headed to the bottom of the final inning of regulation with the score still knotted at four. Vissering got the first two batters out, but Rivera then crushed a solo home run to left center field to give the Illini a walkoff 5-4 victory.
Next Up: Illinois heads to Iowa City for its first road Big Ten series of the season. The three-game series with Iowa opens at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 3.
