CLEMSON, S.C. – On the final day of the Clemson Tiger Invitational, the Fighting Illini softball team completed the weekend sweep of RV Liberty with a 3-2 victory, but faltered in game two, falling to No. 17/15 by a score of 4-0.
In game one, a late-inning scoring burst was enough to topple Liberty and take the two-game sweep of the Flames. At the plate, junior Delaney Rummel put the Illini on top with a solo home run in the fifth, while freshman Stevie Meade and senior Kailee Powell also tallied RBIs in the victory. In the circle, sophomore Tori McQueen tossed six innings, striking out seven Flames batters, while senior Sydney Sickels came in and grabbed the save to seal the victory.
The game vs. Liberty marked Illini head coach Tyra Perry's 600th overall win as a head coach, and her 191st win as head coach of the Illini.
In game two, the Illini were shut out for the first time this season, falling to No. 17/15 Clemson by a score of 4-0. At the plate, five different Illini tallied a hit, while in the circle freshman Lauren Wiles came on in relief and tossed three scoreless innings, giving up no hits and striking out two batters.
GAME ONE | ILLINI 3, RV LIBERTY 2
After giving up a double to the second batter of the game, McQueen proceeded to shut down the Flames batters, striking out the side to prevent a runner in scoring position from coming around. Illinois also threatened in the first inning, getting runners on second and third base with two outs, but nothing ultimately came from it.
After both teams went out quick in innings two through four, Illinois found their rythym with the bats in the fifth inning. Leading off the inning, Rummell launched a solo home run down the left field line, her team-leading fifth of the season, to put Illinois on the board. Following a groundout, sophomore Megan Ward doubled and Meade tripled her in to extend the lead to 2-0. Powell then singled in Meade to end the scoring in the fifth for the Illini, leading 2-0 heading into the final two frames.
Liberty cut into the Illini lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run home run to deep left center field, while the Illini went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to keep the lead to one entering the final frame.
Sickels entered the game in the top of the seventh looking to grab her first save of the season. She proceeded to make quick work of the Flames bats, beginning with a strikeout and a fly out before striking out the final batter to seal the 3-2 victory.
GAME TWO | CLEMSON 4, ILLINOIS 0
While the Illini went down in order in both the first two innings, Clemson grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a run-scoring single. Illinois got their first base runners in the third on back-to-back singles from Danielle Davis and Avrey Steiner, but nothing ultimately came from the two runners.
Clemson added three more runs in the bottom of the third on a three-run home run to center field, which ultimately ended the scoring for the Tigers after Wiles entered the game and shut down the Tiger bats for the remaining three innings.
Illinois had base runners and opportunities to score in both the fifth and sixth innings, but ultimately could not plate a runner and were shut out for the first time this season, falling 4-0.
UP NEXT
Illinois returns home to Eichelberger Field this week for the 2022 home opener, taking on Missouri on Wednesday, March 16th with Braggin' Rights on the line. The season-opening double header will take place at 12 and 2 p.m. CT on Wednesday, and will be streamed on B1G+.
