CHICAGO – The bats came alive on Tuesday as Illinois softball downed DePaul, 7-4, at Cacciatore Stadium in the team's final midweek clash of the season.
The Fighting Illini improved to 19-26, while the Blue Demons fell to 8-33 on the year.
In the circle, Lauren Wiles got the start, tossing 5.2 innings and allowing four runs on six hits while fanning three. Tori McQueen earned the save, pitching 1.1 innings and fanning three batters.
Offensively, Kelly Ryono posted a 2-for-4 day at the dish with a pair of two-run homers. Abby Ryniec and Megan Ward both went 2-for-3 in the contest.
How it happened
The Illini got on the board first, with Stevie Meade beginning a rally with a one-out single. Adisyn Caryl followed with a single of her own, putting runners on the corners before Meade scored the first run of the day.
Despite a scoreless second by both teams, the Blue Demons tacked on a pair in the third with a home run to put Illinois behind, 2-1.
Following a scoreless fourth frame, Ryono logged her ninth long ball of the year, a two-run blast, to retake the lead, 3-2. The bats stayed hot in the following frame, with the team tacking on four runs, including another two-run bomb from Ryono.
Holding on to the 7-2 advantage, the Blue Demons chipped away at the Orange and Blue edge by scoring two in the bottom of the sixth.
With McQueen looking for the save, the southpaw struck out the side, slamming the door shut on the 7-4 victory.
Up Next
The Fighting Illini hit the road for a series at Ohio State from April 26-28. First pitch for Friday's series opener is slated for 5 p.m. on B1G+.
Notes
» Illinois wore orange jerseys, moving to 5-6 while donning those.
» The Illini moved to 12-14-1 against DePaul.
» Four Fighting Illini had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Blue Demons at an 11-6 clip.
» This was the second two-homer game of Kelly Ryono's career, with the last also taking place against DePaul on April 25, 2023.
» Ella Cady logged her first career hit.
» The save was the second for Tori McQueen this season.
