UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning against Michigan State, the Illinois softball team rallied to score three runs in a walk-off 3-2 win in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on a beautiful Thursday (May 12) afternoon at the Nittany Lion Softball Park.
With the win, the Illini earns their first Big Ten Tournament win since 2014 and improve to 35-20 on the season. UI advances to face second-seeded Minnesota on Friday at 1:30 p.m. CT.
It was a pitcher's duel throughout most of the contest as the two hurlers allowed just a combined four hits through the first five frames.
The Spartans (27-28) struck first, breaking up the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning as a single and hit-by-pitch gave MSU two runners on with two outs in the frame. Sarah Gutknecht then sent a double to deep right center to plate both runners and put MSU up 2-0.
With the Illini down two runs in the bottom of the seventh, junior Ruby Rivera started the rally with a leadoff single to right field. Redshirt-freshman Emily Brodner then put runners at the corners with one out on a single up the middle for sophomore Carly Thomas, who delivered an RBI single to right field to cut the deficit to one.
Back-to-back Spartan errors then sealed the win for the Illini as senior Kylie Johnson laid down a hard-hit ball that was mishandled by the MSU first baseman to reach base and bring home sophomore pinch runner Jill Nicklas to even the score at 2-2. Senior Allie Bauch then notched an RBI with another Spartan miscue by the second baseman to plate Thomas and send the Illini to the 3-2 victory.
UI totaled six hits to the Spartans' three, while MSU committed three errors in the contest. Rivera and Brodner each registered a pair of hits in the win, with Thomas tallying a hit, a run and an RBI.
Junior Breanna Wonderly (16-10) went all seven innings for the Illini, holding the Spartans to just two runs on three hits and one walk.
Kristina Zalewski (15-15) took the loss after giving up three runs, one earned, on six hits and struck out five in 6.1 innings.
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