URBANA, Ill. — Illinois softball (8-24, 0-6 Big Ten) fell to Northern Iowa, 10-4, at Eichelberger Field on Tuesday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Northern Iowa struck first with a two-RBI home run from Brynn Acton and a solo home run from Kate Lappe. Finley Netten added a two-RBI base hit, and Skylar Benesh also tallied an RBI single.
A two-RBI single from Eileen Donahue put Illinois on the board in the bottom of the opening frame, scoring Keirys Click and Skylar Brennan after they each logged base hits, decreasing the deficit to five runs.
The second inning went by scoreless, and Northern Iowa added an eighth run with an RBI double from Lappe.
In the bottom of the fourth, Ellie Haggard led off with a walk, and pinch runner Gabrielle Debevec reached third after a ground out from Eden Echevarria and single from Jackie Yeager. Debevec came home to score Illinois' fourth run as Yeager attempted to steal second.
In the fifth, Alaina Miller sent a single up the middle, and later scored from third on an RBI single from Click.
Northern Iowa sealed its 10-4 victory with a two-RBI home run from Sykora Smith in the sixth inning.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Eileen Donahue went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in two RBI, her fifth multi-hit outing of the season
- Donahue and fellow junior Skylar Brennan have both reached base in the last three games
- Keirys Click went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in an RBI, her fourth game with multiple hits
- Danika Frazier threw seven innings in relief, her longest outing of the season, conceding five earned runs and notching a trio of strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Illinois heads to Minnesota for its first Big Ten road test, March 27-29. All three games will be played at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in Minneapolis, with streaming on B1G+. First pitch times are set for 5 p.m. CT Friday, 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, and noon CT on Sunday.
