URBANA, Ill. – The Illinois softball team continued its seven-game homestand with a doubleheader split with Indiana State on a cold Wednesday (March 20) night at Eichelberger Field. The Illini dropped a 9-2 decision in game one, before bouncing back for the 7-4 victory in game two.
"Indiana State is a very well-coached team and showed more toughness than us in both games," said head coach Tyra Perry. "Their pitchers made key pitches when it counted and their defense made aggressive plays. Veronica Ruelius hit the ball with authority in game two to give us the spark we needed to finish the day with a win."
Senior Veronica Ruelius led the Illini (18-6) offense with four RBI, two home runs, three walks and two runs in the two-game series, while classmate Kiana Sherlund and redshirt-senior Annie Fleming each posting a team-high four hits – with Sherlund notching a double and a triple and Fleming adding two RBI on the night.
Indiana State 9, Illinois 2
The Sycamores got on the board first with three runs in the opening inning, before the Illini responded with a Carrillo RBI double in the second and a bases-loaded walk for Ruelius in the third to close within 3-2.
That would be as close as UI would get in the opening game as ISU tallied one-run innings in the fourth and sixth frames and put up four scores in the fifth to go onto the 9-2 victory.
Senior Taylor Edwards (1-2) took the loss after allowing eight runs – only five earned – on 11 hits and a walk and striking out one in 4.2 innings. Junior Akilah Mouzon entered in the fifth and gave up just one unearned run on four hits in 2.1 frames of action.
The Illini registered eight hits in the contests, but were hampered by four errors, while the Sycamores tallied 15 hits and did not commit a miscue.
Illinois 7, Indiana State 4
The Illini used a quick start in the opening frame to grab an early 4-0 advantage in the night's second game as back-to-back hits from redshirt-senior Carly Thomas and Sherlund led to a two-run Fleming single. Ruelius then knocked the first home run of the home schedule off the Eichelberger Field scoreboard.
After the Sycamores cut the lead to two at 4-1 with solo homer in the second, sophomore Bella Loya answered back in the third with a two-RBI dinger of her own, before Ruelius made it back-to-back jacks with her second long ball of the game off the scoreboard for the 7-1 edge.
ISU scored the final three runs of the game on a two-run homer in the fourth and an unearned score on a throwing error, but senior Emily Oestreich shutdown the Sycamore offense in the final frames to earn the win.
Oestreich (4-2) entered in the fourth inning and allowed just one unearned run on two hits in 3.2 frames of relief work. Freshman Sydney Sickels started and threw three innings, giving up just one earned run on two hits and a walk and struck out one. Mouzon (2ER, 4H, 1K, 0.1 IP) also saw action in the game.
The Illini outhit ISU, 10 to eight, with UI committing three errors to the Sycamores' two.
Next Up
The Illini next welcome in No. 23 Wisconsin to Eichelberger Field for their Big Ten Conference-opening series this weekend on March 22-24. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT on Friday, 1 p.m. CT on Saturday and 12 p.m. CT on Sunday.
For more Fighting Illini softball news, stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com and follow @IlliniSB on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook.
