Illini Set Attendance Record, Split Doubleheader Against Penn State

URBANA, Ill. - In front of a record 1,530 Illini fans Saturday afternoon at Eichelberger Field, the Fighting Illini softball team split a doubleheader against Penn State, defeating the Nittany Lions 4-3 in game one before dropping the second game 2-0.

Illinois (34-18, 15-6 B1G) was led by strong pitching performances in both games, with senior Sydney Sickels improving to 12-8 on the season after tossing a complete-game allowing just three hits, two walks, and 12 strikeouts in game one. In game two, freshman Lauren Wiles pitched well, tossing a complete-game giving up just three hits and no walks while striking out four batters, but let up two runs and took the loss dropping to 8-5 on the season. Penn State (30-21, 12-10 B1G) knocked just six hits in the doubleheader, while Bailey Parshall earned the decision in each game to move to 20-8 on the season.

At the plate, Illinois knocked 14 hits on the day (ten in game one) and was led by a 4-for-7, two RBI and one walk performance from senior Avrey Steiner, who had the game-winning hit in game one with a 3-for-4 effort. On their senior day, graduate student Bella Loya knocked two hits, while graduate student Lakyn Wagoner appeared in both games as a pinch runner. 

The Illini celebrated two seniors (Bella Loya and Lakyn Wagoner), as well as senior student managers Caitlin Basden and Anthony Pulido, in a postgame ceremony following game two. The 17th-annual World's Largest Softball Tailgate was also held Saturday afternoon, and a record-setting crowd of 1,530 Illini fans were on hand for the doubleheader against Penn State, surpassing the previous attendance record of 1,445 fans in 2007 for a game vs. DePaul.

GAME ONE | ILLINOIS 4, PENN STATE 3

Sickels worked around a leadoff walk from Penn State in the first, striking out two batters and getting a line out to shortstop to get out of the first unscathed. The Illini wasted no time getting on the board in the first, and quickly loaded the bases after Steiner led off with a single, Stevie Meade reached base on a Penn State error, and Megan Ward reached on a bunt single. Kelly Ryono then grounded into a fielders choice where the Nittany Lions got the out at home, but a fielding error by the first baseman allowed Meade to cross the plate to put the Illini up a run. Delaney Rummell then recorded a sacrafice fly to allow another runner to score, putting Illinois up 2-0 after one. 

Sickels struck out the side in the second, but Penn State was able to plate three runs in the top of the third to take a 3-2 lead. Sickels added three more strikeouts in the fourth, while the Illini left a pair of runners on base in the home half of the inning. Illinois again got a runner in scoring position in the fifth via a Steiner single and stolen base, but she was stranded at second. Sickels was able to add another two strikeouts in the top of the sixth, working around a walk, and Illinois looked to begin a rally and did just that. Three-straight singles loaded the bases for the Illini in the sixth, but Penn State was able to convert two-straight fielder's choice outs at home plate, keeping the bases loaded but now with two outs. Steiner was then able to step to the plate and knock a two-RBI single to right-center to regain the lead for the Illini 4-3. In the seventh, Sickels was able to catch the final batter of the game swinging to complete the come-from-behind victory in game one.

GAME TWO | PENN STATE 2, ILLINOIS 0

After a quick 1-2-3 inning from Wiles in the first, Illinois threatened quickly after Ward reached base on a throwing error and advanced to third after the ball reached the right field corner, but she was tagged out at home plate on an attempted bunt squeeze, and the Illini came away from the first empty-handed. Both teams went down quietly in the second, while Illinois in the third again threatened after back-to-back walks from Paige Berkmeyer and Steiner and a Ward single loaded the bases with just one out, but a fielders-choice out at home plate and a line out ended the Illini scoring threat.

Penn State scored two runs in the fourth after a two out, two-run home run put the Nittany Lions In the lead, 2-0, while the Illini were unable to answer Penn State in the home half of the inning. Both teams found a hit in their respective halves of the fifth inning, but nothing came of either baserunner, while the Illini again put two runners on in the sixth but were unable to bring a runner to the plate. Wiles shut down Penn State in the top of the seventh, and Illinois looked to rally from behind for the second time in the day.

Needing two runs to tie and three to win, Danielle Davis reached base on a throwing error and advanced into scoring position as a result. Berkmeyer then reached base on another error to bring the winning run to the plate. With two runners on with just one out, Steiner singled to right-center but pinch runner Miranda Gallardo was caught trying to make it to third base, leaving runners on the corners with two outs, but a ground out ended the game in favor of the Nittany Lions by a score of 2-0.

UP NEXT

Illinois and Penn State will wrap up the three-game series tomorrow afternoon with a 1:30 p.m. CT first pitch scheduled to be nationally televised on the Big Ten Network. The rubber game of the series between Illinois and Penn State will also serve as the regular-season finale for both teams, as the Illini look to become the only Big Ten team this season to not lose a series.