@IlliniSB Takes First B1G Series Win with Doubleheader Sweep of Huskers

Saturday, March 26

Urbana, IL

1 PM

University of Illinois

20-10, 1-1

Nebraska

19-10, 1-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Nebraska	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	3	9	2
Illinois	0	2	0	1	0	5	X	8	14	3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Nebraska	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	7	0
Illinois	0	0	0	4	2	4	10	15	1

@IlliniSB Takes First B1G Series Win with Doubleheader Sweep of Huskers

March 26, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Wonderly leads Illini to wins of 8-3 and 10-2 over Nebraska on Saturday

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Junior Breanna Wonderly pitched all 13 innings for the Illinois softball team en route to leading the Illini to their first Big Ten Conference series win of the season with a doubleheader sweep of No. 24/RV Nebraska on Saturday (March 26) at Eichelberger Field. The Illini opened with an 8-3 win in game one, before run-ruling the Huskers, 10-2, in six innings in game two.

With the series win, Illinois ends an impressive streak for the Huskers as NU had not lost a Big Ten road series in the last three seasons until this weekend, with its last league road series lost coming in May of 2012.

The Illini improve to 21-10 on the season and 2-1 in the conference, while the Huskers fall to 19-11 and 1-2 in league play.

Junior Alyssa Gunther was dynamite at the plate as went 5-for-7 for a .714 batting average with a double, an RBI and a team-high four runs scored, while classmate Nicole Evans notched seven RBI and a 1.875 slugging percentage on the day.

Wonderly (8-3) came within one frame of her career-high for innings pitched in a single day and gave up just five runs on 16 hits to earn both victories for the Illini.

Game One: Illinois 8, Nebraska 3

It was a back-and-forth affair in the day's opening game as the Illini twice grabbed a lead and had the Huskers come back and tie it up.

A two-run second inning gave the Illini the early momentum with sophomore Carly Thomas and Gunther registering back-to-back RBI-singles, but Nebraska answered with its own pair of RBI singles in the third.

The two teams traded a run in the bottom of the fourth and the top of the fifth to even the score at 3-3 heading into the sixth inning, where the Illini broke it open with five runs on five hits. After three-straight singles loaded the bases, Evans blasted her second career grand slam and her second in the last week to give the Illini a 7-3 lead. Sophomore Annie Fleming then finished off the Illini scoring with an RBI triple to right field.

The Illini totaled 14 hits, but were hampered by three errors, while the Huskers had nine its and two miscues.

Emily Lockman dropped to 6-3 after giving up eight runs, six earned, on 13 hits in five and one-third innings of work.

Game Two: Illinois 10, Nebraska 2 (six innings)

Much like Friday's setback, Nebraska started quickly with runs in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead, but it would not last long as the Illini scored 10 unanswered runs, including four-run innings in the forth and sixth frames.

Gunther would start things off with a leadoff double in the fourth and was then plated by an Evans double down the left field line. Junior Ruby Rivera then gave the Illini the lead with a two-run shot to left field. Three-straight singles then produced the fourth run of the frame as redshirt-freshman Emily Brodner notched an infield single for the 4-2 Illini advantage.

Back-to-back home run bombs from senior Allie Bauch and Evans highlighted the fifth inning as the lead grew to 6-2 in favor of the home team.

Four runs in the bottom of the sixth then capped the victory as the Illini knocked five-straight hits with two outs in the frame to earn the run-rule decision. Senior Kylie Johnson started things off with a single through the left side, before Thomas smoked a triple to right field. A Gunther single was followed by back-to-back doubles from Bauch and Evans, with Evans' two-bagger driving in the deciding run.

The Illini hammered the Huskers with 15 runs and committed one error in the win, while NU recorded seven knocks in the loss.

Cassie McClure (11-5) gave up nine runs on 13 hits in five and two-thirds innings to take the loss.

The Fighting Illini will take a break from the midweek action and next welcomes in Rutgers on April 1-3 in their second Big Ten series of the season at Eichelberger Field. Friday and Saturday's games will be available on BTN Plus, with Sunday's contest to air on BTN. Game times for the weekend are slated for 6 p.m. CT, 1 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.

For more Fighting Illini softball news, stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com and follow the team on Twitter @IlliniSB or like Fighting Illini Softball on Facebook.