ATLANTA – The Illinois softball continued its success in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge as the Illini finished the weekend with a 4-0 record after earning a pair of 7-3 wins over Boston College and Georgia Tech on Saturday (February 16) at Mewborn Field.
"It was a great weekend overall," said head coach Tyra Perry. "I am proud of the way we played. We were solid in all aspects of the game and we stuck together as a team. We still have a few kinks to hammer out next week in practice. I am looking forward to getting back to work."
It was a dominating weekend for the Illini, who outscores its foes, 41-19, while improving to 7-2 on the season and 9-3 in the annual Challenge event. As a team, the Illini registered a .405 batting average, while totaling 45 hits, including 10 doubles and seven home runs.
Senior Kiana Sherlund paced the team with a .727 average after going 8-for-11 with two doubles, eight runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base. Sophomore Rhein Trochim added a .583 average with seven hits, four RBI and four runs, with redshirt-senior Annie Fleming posting a .462 average with six hits – including a double and two home runs – as well as six runs and four RBI.
Redshirt-senior Carly Thomas led the Illini with seven RBI, with sophomore Bella Loya also turning in six RBI on the weekend.
Freshman pitcher Sydney Sickels earned three of the four wins on the weekend, registering a 2.27 ERA after allowing just four earned runs on nine hits in 12.1 innings, while also totaling 12 strikeouts.
Illinois 7, Boston College 3
After the Eagles scored a pair of unearned runs in the opening frame, the Illini answered back with seven-unanswered runs as a home run from senior Annie Fleming in the bottom of the first started the rally.
The Illini then got a trio of two-RBI singles from Loya and sophomore Katie Wingerter and freshman Kailee Powell in a six-run third for the 7-2 edge.
BC (2-6) added a solo home run in the fourth, but senior Emily Oestreich (3-1) finished off her complete game victory with a flyout to left field. Oestreich allowed just one earned run on eight hits and struck out four in the win.
Both teams totaled eight hits, with the Illini committing three errors and BC tallying two in the game. Trochim posted a pair of hits, while Fleming added two runs for UI.
Illinois 7, Georgia Tech 3
Fleming again started the scoring for the Illini in the weekend finale, blasting a two-run home run, before a wild pitch scored Loya for the early 3-0 lead in the first.
A two-run Georgia Tech home run in the fourth then closed the edge to one at 3-2, but the Illini responded in the next half-inning with a solo Wingerter home run, followed by a two-run long ball from Thomas to push ahead at 6-2.
After another solo shot from the Yellow Jackets in the sixth, a Thomas RBI double in the bottom half of the inning sealed the 7-3 victory.
Freshman Sydney Sickels (4-1) had another strong outing in the circle to earn the win, giving up three earned runs on six hits and two walks and striking out six in the complete game effort.
The Illini put together 10 hits, while holding GT to just six, while the Yellow Jackets suffered one error in the contest. Sherlund went 3-for-3 with two runs for the Illini, while Thomas tallied two hits and three RBI and Fleming notched two hits, two RBI and a run in the win.
Next Up
The Illini next head to Mobile, Alabama, for the Mardi Gras Classic, hosted by South Alabama at Jaguar Field on February 22-24.
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