ATLANTA – The Illinois softball team swept its opening day of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, earning a 12-3 five-inning victory over Boston College, before taking a 15-10 win over Georgia Tech in a rain-shortened game on a rainy Friday (February 15) at Mewborn Field.
With the two wins, the Illini improve to 5-2 on the season and 7-3 in the Challenge.
Illinois 12, Boston College 3 // 5 innings
The Illini scored in each of the first four innings en route to a 12-3 run-rule victory over BC in the opening game of the tournament as three-straight hits from redshirt-senior Annie Fleming and sophomores Bella Loya and Maddison Demers and a sacrifice fly from senior Alexis Carrillo put UI up, 3-0, in the first.
An RBI single from senior Kiana Sherlund, followed by a three-run home run from redshirt-senior Carly Thomas then gave the Illini a 7-0 edge in the second. After an Eagle solo homer in the bottom half of the frame, the Orange and Blue added a run on a double steal in the third and a four-run frame in the fourth, highlighted by doubles from Fleming and senior Stephanie Abello and a Demers RBI single.
BC added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth for the 12-3 final in five innings.
Freshman Sydney Sickels (3-1) earned the win after allowing just one earned run on two hits and a walk and striking out two in 3.0 innings. Senior Taylor Edwards finished off the final two frames, allowing just one earned run on two hits and a pair of walks.
The Illini registered 14 hits and an error in the win, while the Eagles totaled only four hits with three errors. Sophomore Rhein Trochim paced the team with a 3-for-3 effort with two RBI and a run, with Sherlund, Fleming and Demers each adding a pair of hits.
Illinois 15, Georgia Tech 10 // 6 innings
The Illini offense continued where it left off in the day's second game as Loya crushed a two-run home run – her fifth long ball of the season – in the opening frame for the early lead.
After a GT score in the bottom half of the first, the Illini added three runs in the second and four in the third, highlighted by RBI singles from Trochim and sophomore Katie Wingerter and a two-run Sherlund double, for the 9-2 advantage.
The two teams traded two-run innings, before the Yellow Jackets used a six-run fourth inning that included three walks and a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to pull within one at 11-10.
From there, the game entered an hour and 17-minute rain delay due to rain. Out of the delay, the Illini responded with five-unanswered runs, including Carrillo's third career home run, before the game was called in the top of the sixth due to rain, giving the Illini the 15-10 victory.
Sickels earned her second win of the day after throwing 2.1 scoreless relief innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out four. Senior starter Emily Oestreich gave up four earned runs on seven hits and a walk and striking out two in 3.0 frames. Junior Akilah Mouzon and Edwards each saw action in the fourth inning.
The Illini posted 13 hits, but suffered two errors, while the Yellow Jackets totaled 10 hits and three errors. Wingerter led UI with a 3-for-4 performance with three runs and an RBI, while Sherlund turned in four runs, two hits and two RBI and Trochim added two hits, two RBI and two runs.
Next Up
The Illini wrap up play at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with two games on Saturday (February 16), taking on Boston College at 2 p.m. CT and Georgia Tech at 4:30 p.m., at Mewborn Field.
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