URBANA, Ill. -Â In the series opener against the Hawkeyes Friday evening, the Fighting Illini softball team downed Iowa 4-2 at Eichelberger Field behind strong pitching and a three-run fifth inning from the Illini bats.
Illinois (28-15, 11-3 B1G) was led by the pitching duo of freshman Lauren Wiles (5.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, four SO) and senior Sydney Sickels (1.1 IP, 0 hits, 4 SO). Sickels was able to extend her scoreless inning streak to 27.2 straight innings without giving up a run.
At the plate, freshman Stevie Meade went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while senior Kailee Powell went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Graduate student Bella Loya went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk in the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams went down in order in the first inning before the Hawkeyes were able to push a run across the board after a passed ball and a single up the middle scored the runner from second and put Iowa up 1-0 early in the game. Illinois responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning, as a Delaney Rummell double down the left-field line put her in scoring position, and a single up the middle from Loya knotted the game at one through two innings.
Illinois was able to put two runners on in the third via a Meade single and Megan Ward walk, but were ultimatley left on base. The Hawkeyes threatened to take the lead in the top of the fourth after a leadoff walk and a double to center field put runners on second and third with one out, but Ward was able to nab a runner trying to score on a grounder, and caught a runner trying to steal home to end the inning unscathed.
Illinois got the bats going quickly in the fifth inning, scoring three runs on four hits and an Iowa error. Gabi Robles led off the inning with a single, and advanced to third on a throwing error from the third baseman after a pop out from Steiner. Meade then stepped to the plate and drilled a single up the middle to score Robles and put the Illini in the lead. Ward then singled and Kelly Ryono walked to load the bases, and after a fielder's choice negated an Illini run, Powell was able to single to left field and score two runners, extending the lead to 4-1 through five innings.
The Hawkeyes cut the lead to two after a solo home run to center field in the sixth, and a walk and fielding error put two runners on with two outs. Sickels entered the circle and struck out the final batter of the inning swining, limiting the damage to just one run. The Illini threatened to add to the lead in the sixth after a Loya single and a sac bunt from Jaelyn Vickery put a runner in scoring position with one out, but the runner was ultimatley left on base, sending the game to the final frame with Illinois holding a two-run lead.
Sickels went back to the circle in the top of the seventh and dominated, striking out the side and ending the game with a backwards K to seal a 4-2 series opening victory for the Illini. With Sickels' first strikeout in the seventh, the Illini broke the single season record for strikeouts with 333 strikeouts and counting on the season.
UP NEXT
The Illini and the Hawkeyes will wrap up the three-game set tomorrow, April 23, with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. CT, with game two set for an approximate first pitch of 3:30 p.m. CT. Tomorrow's game will transform Illini fans into the world of "Friends", and the first 300 fans in attendance for tomorrow's games will receive an Illinois themed Friends t-shirt inspired by the hit 90's comedy television show.
