University of Illinois
9-6
Sam Houston State
4-9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 2 |
| Sam Houston State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 5 |
@IlliniSB Powers its Way to Two Wins at USF Under Armour Invitational
March 4, 2016 | Softball
Illinois Outscores Foes 24-10 in Wins over Sam Houston State and Central Michigan
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Illinois softball team outscored its opponents 24-10 and knocked five home runs on the day en route to blowout wins over Sam Houston State, 13-7, and Central Michigan, 11-3 in six innings, on the first day of the USF Under Armour Invitational on Friday (March 4) at the ECM Complex in Clearwater, Fla.
"We played solid team ball today especially in our second game against Central Michigan" said head coach Tyra Perry. "Seniors Allie Bauch and Remeny Perez were both leaders at the plate."
The win is the third-straight for the Illini, who improve to 10-6 on the season, while SHSU fell to 5-9 and CMU dropped to 4-8.
The Illini had a balanced attack on Friday with eight players notching two RBI on the day. Senior Allie Bauch totaled a team-high five hits, including a homer and a double, and four runs, while classmate Remeny Perez registered a .750 batting average with three hits as well as a 1.500 slugging percentage in the two wins.
Illinois 13, Sam Houston State 7
Junior Alyssa Gunther started off the Illini against the Bearkats with an inside the park home run in the opening frame, before sophomore Annie Fleming made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout to score Bauch, who doubled earlier in the inning.
After SHSU got back a run in the second, the Illini responded with four unanswered runs over the next four innings with an RBI single from sophomore Leigh Farina in the fourth, a solo home run from sophomore Carly Thomas in the fifth and a SHSU throwing error that scored a pair of runs in the sixth for a 6-1 lead.
The Bearkats used a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to close the gap to 6-3, but the Illini then exploded for seven runs in the top of the seventh on four hits, including a Bauch leadoff homer and a two-RBI double from sophomore Katie Gallagher, as well as three SHSU errors.
Trailing by 10, the Bearkats fought back with back-to-back RBI singles to centerfield and a two-run single to left field to bring the score to 13-7, but the Illini defense, while bending, did not break in securing the victory.
Both teams recorded 14 hits in the contest, with the Illini committing two errors and the Bearkats committing five. Bauch went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in the win.
Junior Breanna Wonderly (4-3) earned the win after giving up three earned runs on 10 hits and striking out three in six innings of work.
Taylor Atkinson (2-5) took the loss and allowed 10 runs, four earned, on 12 hits and struck out four in six innings.
Illinois 11, Central Michigan 3 (6 inn.)
After Central Michigan jumped out first with a two-run opening inning, the Illini answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by a Perez two-run bomb to left centerfield.
CMU cut the Illini lead to two runs with an RBI single down the left field line, but that would be as close as the Chippewas would get as UI scored in the third, fourth and sixth innings for its first run-rule victory of the season.
Freshman Stephanie Abello scored her second collegiate RBI in the third, before junior Nicole Evans made it 8-3 in the fourth on a two-run shot to left field, her team-leading fourth homer of the season.
The Illini then closed the door on CMU in the sixth with Abello doubling in sophomore pinch runner Sam Acosta, before she was scored on a Chippewa fielding error two batters later. Gunther, who opened the scoring for the Illini on the day, then finished it off with an RBI single through the right side to plate the game-ending run.
The Orange and Blue outhit the Chippewas, 17-7, while CMU was hampered by two miscues. Perez led the charge with a 3-for-4 performance with two RBI and a run. Senior Kylie Johnson added a 4-for-4 effort with one run and two stolen bases.
Junior Jade Vecvanags (6-3) gave up three earned runs on seven hits and struck out three in five innings to grab the win, with sophomore Kate Giddens making her third appearance of the season in a three-up, three-down sixth inning.
Rachael Knapp (3-3) dropped the game after allowing eight runs, five earned, on 11 hits in three and two-thirds innings.
The Illini continue play at the USF Under Armour Invitational on Saturday (March 5) and will take on Penn at 11:15 a.m. CT and South Florida at 4 p.m. CT at the ECM Complex.
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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wonderly, Breanna (4-3)
L: Atkinson, Taylor (2-5)
Batting:
2B: Bauch, Allie 1 ; Gallagher, Katie 1
HR: Thomas, Carly 1 ; Gunther, Alyssa 1 ; Bauch, Allie 1
RBI: Thomas, Carly 2 ; Gunther, Alyssa 1 ; Bauch, Allie 1 ; Fleming, Annie 1 ; Farina, Leigh 2 ; Gallagher, Katie 2
SH: Fleming, Annie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Thomas, Carly 1 ; Gunther, Alyssa 1 ; Bauch, Allie 2 ; Acosta, Sam 1 ; Fleming, Annie 2 ; Trezzo, Danielle 2 ; Brodner, Emily 1 ; Farina, Leigh 2 ; Johnson, Kylie 1
SB: Gunther, Alyssa 1 ; Evans, Nicole 1 ; Acosta, Sam 1 ; Fleming, Annie 2 ; Trezzo, Danielle 1
CS: Gunther, Alyssa 2 ; Nicklas, Jill 1
Batting:
HR: Carpenter, Codi 1
RBI: Bounds, Emily 1 ; Carpenter, Codi 2 ; Kieval, Jennie 1 ; Watson, Bailey 3
SH: Allen, Dani 1
SF: Watson, Bailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Allen, Dani 1 ; Neal, Delaney 1 ; Alaniz, Erin 1 ; Goetz, Ashley 1 ; Bounds, Emily 1 ; Carpenter, Codi 2
PO: Allen, Dani 1
