CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini softball team powered their way to a 5-3 win over Illinois State as senior Nicole Evans, junior Annie Fleming and sophomore Stephanie Abello each homered on a cold Wednesday (March 29) night at Eichelberger Field.
The Illini push their winning streak to nine games, ranking seventh all-time in program history and improve to 23-8 on the season.
"We showed moments of greatness today," said head coach Tyra Perry. "Erin Walker did a good job setting the tone early in the game and Breanna Wonderly was masterful in the seventh. We had several players step up on offense, but Nicole Evans' homerun in the bottom of the first helped us stay loose."
Evans got things going early for the Illini with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first for the early lead. It was Evans' 12th homer of the season and 47th in her career, moving her within four dingers of Angelena Mexicano's career record of 51. With the two RBI on the play, Evans also moved into a tie for second with Hollie Pinchback with 159 career RBI, just five away from Mexicano's career mark of 164.
The Illini added a run in the second as senior Ruby Rivera doubled to left field, before coming home on a Redbird fielding error three batters later.
ISU (15-14) closed within 3-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the third, but the Illini responded with solo home runs from Fleming and Abello to push the edge back to three runs at 5-2.
A one-out solo home run from the Redbirds in the top of the seventh moved the score to 5-3, but senior Breanna Wonderly entered in the circle for sophomore Taylor Edwards and secured her third save of the season with back-to-back outs for the Illini win.
Junior Erin Walker started the contest, allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks and struck out one in 3.0 innings of work. Edwards (11-1) entered in the fourth and gave up just one earned run on three hits and notched a pair of strikeouts in 3.1 innings to earn her 11th win of the season.
The Illini totaled nine hits to the Redbirds' six, with both teams committing two errors. Abello went 2-for-2 with an RBI and run, while Rivera added two hits and a run.
Illinois continues its four-game homestand with their first Big Ten Conference series at Eichelberger Field against No. 6 Minnesota this weekend, March 31-April 2. First pitch for the Illini and the Gophers is set for 5 p.m. CT on Friday night, followed by a 1 p.m. game on Saturday and a noon start on Sunday.
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