HOUSTON, Texas – The Illinois softball team opened the 2019 season with a bang, posting back-to-back wins over No. 22 Oklahoma State, 7-4, and No. 13 Kentucky, 6-5 in eight innings, en route to registering the program's 600th win on Friday (February 8) at the Cougar Softball Stadium.
"We played great team softball today," said head coach Tyra Perry. "I am so proud of everyone but especially the hot bat of sophomore Bella Loya and the arm of freshman Sydney Sickels. They are both underclassmen, but played like experienced vets today."
Senior Kiana Sherlund paced the Illini (2-0) with a 4-for-6 performance at the plate with three doubles and a stolen base, while sophomore Bella Loya turned in five RBI on two home runs. Redshirt-senior Annie Fleming – in her first action since the 2017 season after sitting out last season due to injury – collected three hits, two RBI, a home run and a run in her return.
Illinois 7, No. 22 Oklahoma State 4
Sherlund got things going in the opening inning of the 2019 season as she led off with double, before scoring for the 1-0 edge as classmate Stephanie Abello reached on a fielding error.
After a two-run home run from the Cowboys (0-1) in the top of the third, Loya answered right back with UI's first dinger of the season - three-run home run to left field – to retake the lead at 4-2.
Redshirt-senior Carly Thomas then opened the fourth frame with a double, before classmate Annie Fleming knocked her first long ball since May 17, 2017 to push the Illini lead to 6-2.
The Cowboys closed within 6-4 with a pair of run in the sixth, but another unearned insurance and a strong debut from freshman Sydney Sickels in the circle sealed the 7-4 win to open the season.
Senior Emily Oestreich (1-0) earned the first win of the season after allowing just two earned runs on three hits and six walks in 4.2 innings, while striking out three. Junior Akilah Mouzon saw a third of an inning, before Sickels entered in the fifth, throwing two hitless and scoreless frames and striking out two.
The Illini totaled eight hits – including four extra base knocks – in the season opener.
Illinois 6, No. 13 Kentucky 5 // 8 Innings
As in the opener, the Illini struck first for a 3-0 through the first five innings on a pair of unearned scored and a dinger from sophomore transfer Katie Wingerter.
The Wildcats (0-1) fought back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, before tying the score at 3-3 with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
With the international tiebreaker rule in effect in the eighth, sophomores Bella Loya and Maddison Demers knocked back-to-back homers for the 6-3 Illini advantage. UK registered their own two-run long ball in the bottom of the frame, but Sickels and the Illini defense finished off the win with a pop-up to shortstop.
Sickels (1-0), who collected both her first collegiate start and win on the day, went all 8.0 innings, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits and four walks and struck out six.
As a team, the Illini registered nine hits, but committed one error in the win, while the Wildcats tallied 10 knocks and two errors.
Next Up
The Illini continue play at the Houston Invitational on Saturday (February 9), facing off against the Cowboys for the second time at 2 p.m. CT, before taking on host Houston at 7 p.m.
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