URBANA, Ill. – Illinois softball needed 10 innings but secured the 2-1 triumph over Iowa in the Big Ten series opener at Eichelberger Field on Friday night.
The Fighting Illini improved to 21-28 and 7-13 in league play. Iowa dropped to 16-28 and 4-17 in conference competition.
Tori McQueen went the distance, tossing 10.0 innings while allowing one run on eight hits and fanning eight Hawkeye batters. Gabrielle Debevec provided the walk-off RBI single. Adisyn Caryl and Megan Ward each provided 2-for-5 performances at the plate.
How it happened
Illinois and Iowa engaged in a pitcher's duel, with both squads going scoreless through four. However, the Hawkeyes drew first blood in the top of the fifth, plating the first run of the day with a two-out RBI double.
The Iowa edge did not last long, with a bases-loaded RBI single from the bat of Ward locking the game at one run apiece.
All knotted up headed to the seventh, both teams were retired in order to force the squads to head to extra innings.
Caryl started the bottom of the 10th with a leadoff double for the Orange and Blue. A walk put runners on first and second with one out before Debevec's RBI single put away the 2-1 walk-off win.
Up Next
Senior Saturday and World's Largest Softball Tailgate are on deck for Illinois softball as the team continues to host Iowa for a Big Ten series. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. on B1G+. World's Largest Softball Tailgate begins at 11 a.m.
Notes
» Illinois wore white jerseys, moving to 5-7 while donning those.
» The Illini moved to 31-26 against Iowa.
» Megan Ward extended her hitting streak to five games.
» Illinois moved to 2-0 in extra innings.
» The Illini stranded 12 runners on base in the contest.
» The complete game was the 15th of the season for Tori McQueen.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Hawkeyes at a 10-8 clip.
» Illinois pitchers limited Iowa to 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
» Attendance was called at 223.
