URBANA, Ill. – In a back-and-forth midweek battle with Eastern Illinois, the Illinois softball team earned its second-straight walk-off winner as redshirt-senior Carly Thomas scored on a fielding error in the bottom of the eighth to lift the Illini to an 8-7 extra-inning victory on Tuesday (March 26) night at Eichelberger Field.
"We are always happy to get the win at home," said head coach Tyra Perry. "We just need to clean some things up and continue to improve. Carly Thomas had another strong outing at the plate for us."
Thomas led the Illini (21-7) with a 4-for-5 performance with three runs and one RBI, while senior Kiana Sherlund totaled three hits, an RBI and a run and redshirt-senior Annie Fleming added two RBI, one hit and one run.
The Panthers struck first with a sacrifice fly in the top half of the opening inning, before the Illini responded quickly as Fleming brought in Thomas on an RBI sac bunt in the bottom of the frame.
A solo home run to lead off the fourth then gave EIU the 2-1 edge, but the Illini rallied with six-straight hits – including doubles from Sherlund and sophomore Bella Loya - to start the fifth frame en route to a five-run fifth inning to take a 6-2 advantage.
EIU then retook the lead in the top of the sixth as the visitors scored five unearned runs on four hits and three Illini errors. Thomas then tied things up with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth as the game went into extras. With two outs already on the board in the eighth frame, Thomas started the UI rally with her second double of the game, before moving third on a Sherlund bunt single. The Fontana, Calif., native then came home as Fleming reached base on a Panther fielding error.
Freshman Sydney Sickels (13-3) earned the win after entering in the seventh inning and allowing just one walk and striking out two in two shutout frames. Senior Emily Oestreich started and went six innings, giving up seven runs – only one earned – on seven hits and one walk and striking out two.
Next Up
The Illini next head to Lincoln, Neb., for their first Big Ten Conference road series of the season at Nebraska on March 29-31. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. on Sunday.
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