URBANA, Ill. -- Fighting Illini softball rallied to score three runs in the seventh inning and walked it off on Eileen Donahue's solo home run to pick up the 5-4 win over the Spartans on Sunday.
Illinois improved to 17-20 this year with a 4-8 Big Ten record. Michigan State dropped to 13-22 this season with a 3-10 conference mark.
Megan Nuechterlein went the distance as the right-hander gave up four runs, all of them earned, on seven hits, allowing two walks and striking out three.
Keirys Click led the Fighting Illini at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Donahue's home run was her second walk-off bomb of the series.
Trailing 2-0, the Illini first put runs on the board in the second inning. Lizzie Stiverson's run-scoring single highlighted a two-run inning for Illinois.
Michigan State broke the tied and took a 4-2 lead before Illinois scored three runs in the bottom half of the seventh to grab the win. Stevie Meade began a two-out rally with a single before Click tied the game with a home run. Donahue's dinger followed and ended the 5-4 triumph.
Up Next
The Orange and Blue close out a four-game homestand with a game against Valparaiso on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
