Urbana, Ill. - The Fighting Illini closed out the home season in style, using three home runs and a two-hit gem from Jade Vecvanags to race past Western Illinois, 9-0, in six innings. Three different Illini went deep in the game, topped off by Nicole Evans, who clocked her 17th of the season to go a triple shy of the cycle, while Jess Perkins went yard in her final appearance at Eichelberger Field, and freshman Annie Fleming went deep for the sixth time this month.
It is hard to believe how far this team has come, as just one month ago the Illini checked in at a measly 8-20, but 21 games and 37 home runs later, the Illini have eclipsed the .500 mark for the first time, improving to 25-24, playing their best softball of the year on the precipice of the postseason. With the loss, Western Illinois sinks to 16-21.
"We came into the clubhouse very focused on tonight's game," said head coach Terri Sullivan. "That showed on the field both offensively and defensively. It was a clean game."
Sophomore Jade Vecvanags (18-10) captured her second career shutout, allowing just two fourth-inning singles along with five perfect innings while striking out five. Brooke Stulga (2-3) got the starting nod for Western, but left after allowing three runs on six hits and two walks with one out in the fourth. Leathernecks ace Kacyee Hart replaced her in relief, but allowed six runs on six hits over the remaining two-and-a-third innings.
Allie Bauch started the Illini offense with a single to reach base for the 22nd straight game, which ties for the sixth-longest streak in Illinois history. Nicole Evans led the attack by going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs, while Perkins doubled, homered and scored three times. Fleming went 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs an a two-run homer, and Alyssa Gunther was 2-for-4 with a run.
After a 10-pitch top of the first, the Illini attacked Stulga for two runs on three hits in the bottom of the opening frame. Bauch and Gunther led off with back-to-back singles, and Evans drove in the first run of the game with an RBI double to the corner in right, her 14th two-bagger of the year. Carly Thomas then made it 2-0 Illini with a sacrifice fly.
Vecvanags retired the first 11 batters she faced, before Tierney Bottino looped a single into shallow left center with two outs in the fourth. Lia Romeo followed with a single to center, but Bottino held up at third, and the Illini caught Romeo rounding first on a great heads-up play from Thomas to Gunther to Bauch to end the inning and preserve the 2-0 lead.
Illinois tacked on an another run in the bottom of the fourth, as Fleming led off with a single through the right side and Kylie Johnson ripped an RBI double down the third-base line to put the Illini up 3-0.
The Orange and Blue exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fifth, crushing two homers and chasing Stulga from the circle. Perkins opened with a solo shot to left. Evans and Thomas followed with singles, and pinch runner Jill Nicklas stole second. The throw kicked out to center field, allowing pinch runner Danielle Trezzo to score from third, and Fleming connected for a two-run blast to left center to make it 7-0.
Vecvanags needed just eight pitches to get to the bottom of the sixth, with began with a Gunther single. Evans then finished the game early with her 17th home run of the year, making it 9-0 Illinois to seal up Vecvanags' second career shutout in six innings.
Next Up: The Illini close the 2015 regular season with a trip to Lincoln for a three-game series at Nebraska. The fourth-place Illini look to lock up a first-round bye for the Big Ten Tournament, sitting two games behind the Huskers and a half a game ahead of Northwestern.
