URBANA, Ill. – Illinois softball fell to Minnesota in a pair of games to close out the Big Ten series at Eichelberger Field on Saturday.
With the losses, the Fighting Illini moved to 13-18 this season and 0-5 in conference play. The Golden Gophers improved to 18-15 this year with a 4-2 league mark.
GAME ONE
Illinois dropped a five-inning affair with Minnesota, 13-0, to start the day.
Tori McQueen took the loss, moving to 6-8 this year. Stevie Meade and Paige Berkmeyer strung together 1-for-2 performances at the plate.
How it happened
Minnesota held all the momentum, tallying seven home runs in the game and scoring 13 runs.
The Illini saw its best chance in the fourth, when the team added back-to-back singles with one away. However, the team could not connect and stranded the pair to end the frame.
Notes
» Illinois wore navy jerseys, moving to 5-5 while donning those.
» The Illini moved to 23-32 all-time against Minnesota.
» The game marked just the third time Illinois has been shut out this season.
» The team dropped to 1-5 at home.
» Attendance was called at 371.
GAME TWO
A seventh-inning comeback fell short as the Fighting Illini dropped the final game of the series against Minnesota, 6-4.
Lauren Wiles started and took the loss in the circle for Illinois. The right-hander went six innings, giving up four runs, one earned, on seven hits. Kelly Ryono led the Fighting Illini at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
How it happened
Both teams went scoreless in the opening frame, but the Gophers took the early 1-0 lead in the second inning.
The advantage was short-lived as the Illini added a rally in the second, beginning with a one-out single from Adisyn Caryl. An RBI single from the bat of Gabrielle Debevec locked the game up at a run apiece heading to the third.
A pair of runs came home for Minnesota with two outs on the board, giving the Gophers the 3-1 edge in the frame. Both teams went scoreless in the fourth, but Minnesota scored a pair of runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to extend the 6-1 advantage.
With the Orange and Blue down to its final three outs and looking to rally, Debevec drew a two-out walk. Abby Ryniec logged the first triple of her career, scoring the runner. A two-run blast by Ryono cut the deficit to just a pair, but the game ended in a lineout, concluding the 6-4 loss.
Up Next
Illinois hosts Indiana State for a doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch from Eichelberger Field is slated for 4 p.m. CT.
Notes
» Illinois wore navy jerseys, moving to 5-6 while donning those.
» The Illini moved to 23-33 all-time against Minnesota.
» Illinois went 2-for-5 (.400) with runners in scoring position.
» Orange and Blue pitchers limited Minnesota to just 2-for-15 (.133) with runners in scoring position.
» The Fighting Illini drew four walks from Minnesota pitching.
» The team dropped to 1-6 at home.
» Attendance was called at 289.
