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Illinois Softball Wraps Fall Season with Three Wins on the Road
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Redshirt-junior Jessica Davis had a productive weekend at the plate, connecting for four singles, two doubles and two homers while drawing three walks.
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Oct. 6, 2011
NORMAL, Ill. -The University of Illinois softball team concluded its fall ball season by winning three of four contests at the 2011 State Farm Illinois Collegiate Softball Championship, downing Loyola-Chicago, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Southern Illinois-Carbondale to earn a second place finish in the tournament during the Oct. 1-2 weekend. Illinois concludes the fall with a 7-1 record against collegiate opponents, in addition to their 9-1 victory over the former Illini softball student-athletes during the alumni game.
Game 1: Illinois 9, Loyola-Chicago 1 (6 inn.); Oct. 1, 2011
The Orange and Blue used an eight-run fourth inning to rout the Ramblers, 9-1, in six innings, sending 12 batters to the plate during the frame. In the fourth, the Illinois offense connected for six singles, two doubles and a home run to stake Illinois to an 8-0 advantage. Loyola-Chicago responded with one run in the top of the fifth to extend the contest, only to have the Orange and Blue match the Ramblers in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game in a walk-off. With two outs in the inning, redshirt-junior Jessica Davis walked and scored following consecutive singles from senior Meredith Hackett and sophomore Jenna Mychko.
Game 2: Illinois 3, SIU-Edwardsville 2; Oct. 2, 2011
Illinois reached the semifinals of the State Farm Illinois Collegiate Softball Championship Gold Bracket with its first come-from-behind victory of the fall, using individual runs in the fifth and sixth innings to create the difference in the contest. The Illini got on the board first with a run in the top of the opening frame. Sanchez led off with a walk and scored two batters later when Davis connected for a double. SIU-Edwardsville responded with both of its runs in the third inning as Paige Sheeder and Samantha Stanicek each scored after drawing a walk to reach base.
Following the two-run third inning for SIU-Edwardsville, the Illinois pitching staff settled in to a rhythm to give the offense the opportunity to re-take the lead, holding the Cougars to just one hit over the final four frames. To tie the contest in the fifth, senior Danielle Vaji scored after drawing a two-out walk. In the sixth, Davis reached on a single and touched home plate three batters later when freshman Kayla Tyler connected for a one-base hit to secure the difference in the contest.
Game 3: Illinois State 3, Illinois 2
The Orange and Blue's lone loss of the fall season came against Illinois State in the semifinals, dropping a 3-2 decision despite attempts to mount a late-innings rally. Illinois again scored in the first inning of the contest, a common theme throughout the fall. With one out, senior Kelley Wedel doubled, stole second and scored when Hackett connected for an RBI single. The Redbirds totaled all three of their runs in the bottom of the third, taking a 3-1 lead in the process. The Illini added their second and final tally in the sixth inning, with Wedel leading off with a single, eventually scoring as a result of a Mychko groundout to second.
Game 4: Illinois 9, Southern Illinois 8 (10 inn.)
The Orange and Blue capped the fall schedule with a thrilling extra-innings victory over Southern Illinois, downing the Salukis, 9-8, during a 10-inning contest. SIU struck first, scoring in the first inning; however the Illini responded with two of their own in the second on a trio of doubles from Brittany Sanchez, Davis and Hackett to take their first lead of the contest, 2-1.
Southern Illinois added three more runs in the third to re-take the lead at 4-2 and added another in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead by three. Davis re-tied the contest for the Illini with a three-run homer in the fifth, scoring Alex Booker and Sanchez, both reaching on doubles prior to Davis' homer. After Southern Illinois responded with a single run in the bottom of the fifth, Illinois was held scoreless through the sixth to enter the final inning down, 6-5. Davis proved clutch yet again during the final frame, with the Illini down to their final out. The Zephyrhills, Fla., native connected for another homer, this time a solo shot, to earn her third hit in as many at bats to tie the contest. Davis finished the game 3-for-6, with two home runs, a double and a walk.
Illinois and Southern Illinois would not score against until the 10th inning, when the Orange and Blue created the difference with a three-run frame. With the international tie-breaker placing Vaji on second to start the top of the 10th, Senior Nikki Simpson singled to score Vaji for the 6-5 lead, advancing to second on the throw. Freshman Jami Schkade followed with a one-base hit through the middle to advance Simpson to third and stole second during the following at bat. Still without an out recorded during the inning, Booker stepped to the plate next and singled home the final two Illini runs of the contest.
Juniors Jackie Guy and Pepper Gay combined in the circle, striking out six as a duo. Gay earned the start before being relieved by Guy, however the Avondale Estates, Ga., native was called upon to record the final two outs of the 10th, securing the win with a groundout and a strikeout swinging to conclude the contest.
