LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On day two of the 2022 Cardinal Classic, the Fighting Illini softball team split a pair of games, defeating Hofstra 8-0 while falling to Louisville 8-9 in the nightcap.
The highlight of the day came from sophomore LHP Tori McQueen, who tossed a two-hit shutout recording 15 strikeouts vs. Hofstra. In game two, Illinois was led by junior Kelly Ryono who hit her first home run of the season and recorded four RBIs, while sophomore Megan Ward knocked three hits in the loss.
GAME ONE- ILLINOIS 8, HOFSTRA 0
Illinois dominated on both sides of the ball in game one. In the circle, sophomore leftie Tori McQueen tossed a two-hit complete game gem, allowing no free passes and striking out 15 Hofstra batters, the second-most in a single game in Illinois history behind fellow pitcher Sydney Sickels' school-record 16 strikeouts set earlier this season vs. Western Illinois.
"We started the day a little sluggish against Hofstra but we found a way to get our bats going and got the job done. Tori McQueen was in command of her pitches and is really starting to find her groove" head coach Tyra Perry said.
At the plate, junior infielder Delaney Rummell had a career-day, knocking in six runs on three hits. Her six RBIs are tied for third-most in a single game in Illinois history, coming just one RBI shy of tying the school-record of seven. Graduate student Bella Loya also got in on the RBI party, knocking in two runners on a single, while redshirt sophomore Jaelyn Vickery knocked her first triple of the season.
McQueen began the game sitting down six straight Pride batters, striking out four. After the Illini went down quickly in the first two innings, the offense exploded for six runs in the bottom of the third inning.
After the Illini loaded the bases thanks to singles from Zoe Caryl and Stevie Meade and a walk from Kailee Powell, Loya singled to right field to score two runners and put Illinois up 2-0. After Jaelyn Vickery walked to load the bases yet again, Rummell launched a high drive to deep left-center field that carried over the wall for a grand slam, increasing the Illinois lead to 6-0.
After Hofstra found their first hit in the top of the fourth inning, McQueen continued to deal, striking out the side in the fourth and fifth inning.
Rummell struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning, finding an infield single to the left side to score Zoie Howard and extend Illinois' lead to 7-0. Rummell wasn't done in the fifth, as she knocked in Vickery after a triple to move her RBI total to six, tied for the third-most in a single game in Illinois history.
McQueen continued to deal, striking out four more in the final two frames to bring her strikeout total to 15, a career-high and the second most in a single game in Illinois history, sealing the Illini's 8-0 victory.
GAME TWO- ILLINOIS 8, LOUISVILLE 9
In the second game of the day, the Illini went to battle with the Cardinals as the two teams traded leads throughout the game. Illinois was lead by junior Kelly Ryono, who mashed a three-run home run and added four RBIs in the game, while sophomore Megan Ward knocked three hits on the evening.
"We let a game that was in our grasp slip away. Our quality of play was not up to our standards and we made mistakes that ultimately cost us" head coach Tyra Perry said.
Both teams threatened in the first inning, with both leaving two runners on base at the end of their respective innings before the scoring ramped up in the second inning.
In the top half of the second inning, Vickery reached base after she was hit by a pitch while Rummell reached on a throwing error by the pitcher. With Ryono at the plate, she mashed a three-run home run over the center field fence to put the Illini up 3-0. After a Ward double, freshman Stevie Meade knocked a double of her own to push the lead to four.
Louisville scored four runs of their own in the bottom half of the second inning to knot the game at four, while both teams went down in order in the third inning.
Though Ward reached base on a single in the top half of the fourth, Illinois stranded her on base. In the bottom half of the inning, the Cardinals found two runs thanks to two RBI singles and grabbed a 6-4 lead through four innings.
Illinois again got hot at the plate in the top of the fifth inning after a Meade double and Kailee Powell single set up Loya, who knocked Meade to the plate to bring Illinois within one run. After Vickery walked to load the bases, Ryono singled left field to score Powell and tie the game at six. With the bases still loaded, pinch hitter Danielle Davis walked to bring in another run while Ward reached base on a fielder's choice to push the score to 8-6 through five innings.
After both teams failed to bring runners home in the bottom of the fifth and top half of the sixth, Louisville grabbed a run on a sac fly to right field, bringing the Cardinals within one with one frame to go, but McQueen came into the game and hushed the Cardinal bats, getting three straight outs to keep the lead at one.
Illinois headed to the bottom of the seventh with a one run lead, with McQueen back in the circle looking to close the game. After a leadoff double and an intentional walk, Lauren Wiles came back in to pitch looking to get the final two outs. A walk loaded the bases, and Louisville tied the game at eight on a single to left field. The Cardinals then walked it off on a single to left field that bounced off of the top of the wall, giving Louisville the 9-8 win.
"We have been good at bouncing back and learning from our losses. Tomorrow is a new day and with it comes a new opportunity to play Illini Softball" head coach Tyra Perry said.
UP NEXT
Illinois will wrap up the 2022 Cardinal Classic tomorrow (Sunday, March 6) facing off against Western Michigan for an 8:00 a.m. CT start time.
