Fighting Illini Conclude Fall Slate
October 22, 2024 | Softball
Recap
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois softball team completed its 2024 fall schedule, posting an impressive 7-0 mark during their games at Eichelberger Field and a 7-1 overall fall record.
Illinois earned a pair on wins against Greenville (15-0) and Danville (22-2) the first weekend. The team topped Lakeland, 7-1, in a midweek 10-inning clash. The victories for the Fighting Illini continued against McKendree (5-3), Illinois Wesleyan (5-0), Kankakee (15-0) and Spoon River (7-0). Illinois fell at Missouri, 9-3, in 10 innings to close out the slate.
During thr Orange and Blue World Series, Orange came out on top 2-1 in the series. Despite Blue taking game one, 4-3, Orange closed out the last two contests with a pair of close victories, 5-4 and 6-5, respectfully.
Hear from players Karley Yergler, Paige Berkmeyer, and Megan Nuechterlein and Illinois Softball Head Coach Tyra Perry about their fall ball experiences.
Karley Yergler // Jr. // RHP
Hello, my name is Karley Yergler, and I am a junior pitcher but can also hit. During this fall season, we played a lot of different kinds of teams, and it was so exciting to see how our team handled every one of them. This is my first year as an Illini and there are 12 other newcomers alongside me, so it was really cool to see how well we all play together even though so many of us are new.
One of my favorite parts of this fall was the Orange and Blue World Series which was a best of three series between our own team that was split into the Orange team and the Blue team. I loved this because we were able to see how our team can handle all kinds of different situations and how we were able to fight through challenging and close games. For the rest of the season, I am really looking forward to seeing how the team continues to grow and work together to make our team the best team it can be.
Paige Berkmeyer // Sr. // C
Hi Illini family, my name is Paige Berkmeyer and I am a senior catcher. I am from Wadsworth, Ohio and I am currently getting my master's degree in Animal Sciences. This year, we had many newcomers join our Illini family. We were introduced to new talent and many different personalities. This fall, we had the opportunity to participate in team bonding activities, fall games, and intrasquad competitions. Our team bonding was a thrilling experience to say the least. We were tasked to climb up a wooden telephone pole and jump off the top. Before taking the leap, we had to finish the phrase, "I want the courage to…" and be vulnerable in front of our teammates. It was a memorable experience in which we connected with one another. My favorite part of this activity was seeing a few of my teammates conquer their fear of heights, but on the other hand see a few teammates climb to the top in a matter of seconds.
In the fall, we host tournaments each weekend to play surrounding colleges. We get to help adapt the newcomers to the environment of college softball and teach them our game day traditions. This fall season made me very excited for what we have to offer in the spring. Everyone came out ready to play and compete for the name on the front of their jersey. After evaluating the fall, we still will continue to improve and strive for excellence, but also take from it that we can be an unstoppable team come spring. We will continue to use each practice to better ourselves and work together to achieve our goals. This season can not come soon enough and I look forward to seeing what the Orange and Blue brings to the table.
Megan Nuechterlein // So. // RHP
My name is Megan Nuechterlein, and I am a sophomore pitcher. The fall season was great. I have already learned so much and built so many relationships. I feel I've not only grown as a player but as a person as well. It has been a grind but that's why I love it so much. The fall has been full of development and growth not only on the field but in the weight room as well. We have been focusing a lot on doing everything with intention, attention to detail, and purpose. My favorite part of the fall was doing our Orange and Blue intrasquad, it was super fun being with all my teammates and competing against each other. I am really looking forward to the spring season with my teammates and seeing our hard work and dedication pay off.
Head Coach Tyra Perry
Our motivation this season is to approach each day with an "orange and blue collar mindset". That involves working each day with a united focus of playing confident, systematic, selfless softball.
Fall is always a pivotal time in our training schedule because of the short window of time we have to assess the growth of our returners as they become more comfortable with themselves and our system while establishing a connection and rapport with our newcomers. Key returner Adisyn Caryl has been a force on both offense and defense. She is really starting to get comfortable and confident both on the field and at the plate. She is also finding her voice as a leader which has been an added bonus. Transfer, Karley Yergler's daily work with Coach Verdun started to truly shine in our final fall games. Karley is a local product and grew up a huge fan of the Fighting Illini. It was great having a pitcher with her skill on the mound as well as someone who can hit for power in our lineup. You can see Karley's pure love for the sport and the Illini in the way that she competes everyday.
For the first time in my tenure as head coach, we traveled to Missouri for our final game of the fall season. Playing against a team of that caliber was a good measuring stick for our team. Senior outfielder, Zoie Howard and freshman first baseman, Ella Cushing both showed their home run power which was exciting to watch. Freshman, Ava Moore did a solid job holding down our defense with consistent play at shortstop.
The Orange and Blue series was an instant classic. It was a highly competitive three game affair. Orange team senior coaches Paige Berkmeyer and Lauren Wiles did an outstanding job developing a winning strategy for their group. Karley Yergler dug deep in the final game to help lead the Orange team to victory.
We are grateful and thankful when our alumni return home. Chris Tuttle and the Varsity I put together a wonderful reception for us Saturday night. Reconnecting with the history of Illini softball is always a treat.
