COLUMBIA, Mo. – Illinois softball fell to Braggin' Rights foe Missouri in a doubleheader at Mizzou Softball Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
With the losses, Illinois dropped to 16-9. Mizzou improved to 18-9 with the back-to-back victories.
GAME ONE
Despite some late game heroics from the Fighting Illini, the Orange and Blue came up short in the opener, falling 3-2, to Mizzou.
In addition to her nine strikeouts, Sydney Sickels threw six innings, giving up three runs on three hits while walking one.
Offensively, the Fighting Illini were paced by Stevie Meade, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Megan Ward added a noteworthy day at the dish as well, going 1-for-1 with a double.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tigers drew first blood in the bottom of the first as an Illini error plated a pair, putting the Orange and Blue behind, 2-0. Both teams were held scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Mizzou extended its advantage with an RBI double.
Ward led off the sixth with a double and the junior came home following a groundout by Kelly Ryono.
Down to the team's final three outs, Meade cut the Mizzou lead to a run when she blasted a dinger over the left field fence. However, the long ball was not enough to complete the comeback as Illinois dropped the opener to Mizzou, 3-2.
GAME NOTES
» Sickels fanned nine Tigers hitters, the second most in a single game for the pitcher this season.
» The loss moved Sickels to 7-2 in the circle this year
» Illinois wore grey uniforms, dropping to 2-3 while wearing those
» Meade's home run was the second this year for the sophomore and 11th overall for the team.
» Hits stood at three apiece for both teams
» The loss put Illinois 0-1 in midweek games
» Illinois fell to 0-4 against SEC opponents
GAME TWO
Offensive struggles continued for Illinois as the team fell to the Tigers, 7-0, in the final game of the day.
Sickels took the loss, tossing 2.0 innings and allowing two runs on three hits. Addy Jarvis pitched in relief, giving up three runs on one hit while walking a pair during her 2.1 innings of work. Tori McQueen closed out the game, fanning four while allowing two runs on two hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Missouri took an early when a pair of doubles in the first plated two runs for the Tigers. Sickels tossed a scoreless second inning before Jarvis began to work in the third frame with the Illini trailing, 2-0.
A scoreless third and fourth followed but Jarvis and McQueen gave up five runs in the fifth, putting the Fighting Illini behind by seven.
Needing a rally, the offense went quiet in the final two innings for the Orange and Blue, with a strikeout ending the 7-0 defeat for the Fighting Illini.
Illinois returns to action with it home opener against Valparaiso on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
GAME NOTES
» Illinois wore grey uniforms, moving to 2-4 while wearing those.
» The loss put Sickels at 7-3 in the circle this year
» Illinois was outhit 6-3 by Mizzou
» The loss put Illinois 0-2 in midweek games
» Illinois dropped to 0-5 against SEC teams this year
