Senior Weekend, the World’s Largest Softball Tailgate and Dog Day was not enough for the Illinois softball team to pull off an upset against No. 12 Northwestern, who clinched the outright Big Ten title with its win on Saturday.

With the sweep by Northwestern, Illinois finishes eighth in the Big Ten rankings and will face the Wildcats in the first round of the conference tournament Thursday.

A record number of tailgaters enjoyed pre-game festivities outside the stadium and Eichelberger Field was packed with 1,283 fans, shattering the 2005 record of 906. The Illini got another huge crowd Sunday for Dog Day – one of the annual promotions that offers a free ticket to fans that bring their four-legged friend.

“It’s been awesome to have this many fans out,” senior first baseman Jenna Hall said. “You just can’t thank the community enough for all their support.”

But the story of the weekend was not the seniors or the record-setting crowd – it was Northwestern’s pitching staff that baffled Illini batters and shut out the Illinois offense.

Illinois managed just seven hits in the two games against Northwestern, striking out 21 times without scoring a run.

Wildcat junior starting pitcher Eileen Canney tossed a four-hit shutout in Saturday’s game, striking out 12 batters, including the last out of the game. At one point, Canney struck out six in a row and eight in the first four innings in helping the Wildcats to their first Big Ten title since 1987.

With the win, Northwestern also becomes the host site for next weekend’s conference tournament.

Canney got all the support she would need in the top of the first inning after first basemen Garland Cooper and catcher Jamie Dotson came up with run-scoring singles.

Northwestern scored all three of its runs in innings in which Illinois starting pitcher Claire DeVreese walked a batter. DeVreese issued four free passes on the day.

Hall came up with two of the Illini’s four hits on the day, increasing her average to .492. One of those hits came in the fourth inning and set up a good chance for Illinois to come up with its first run of the game.

Hall’s pinch runner Denise Prather advanced to third on a single up the middle from third baseman Shanna Diller. Diller moved to second on the throw from the center fielder, putting runners on second and third, but both were stranded.

On Sunday, Northwestern gave its ace a break, and started senior Courtnay Foster. Foster had her changeup working and did not disappoint, throwing a three-hit complete game shutout. Canney and Foster both earned their 20th wins of the season with their performances.

“Canney and Foster are two number ones,” Hall said. “To have a staff like that it’s just tough. It’s tough for our hitters even if we lead the conference in some offensive categories. You can’t say anything more than they dominated us all weekend.”

Although Northwestern had clinched the Big Ten title the day before, the Wildcats kept nothing back Sunday, starting all of its regulars. DeVreese scattered zeros across the board until the fifth inning, when Wildcat center fielder Sheila McCorkle took all the air out of Eichelberger Field and came up with a run-scoring triple to right field.

Northwestern right fielder Erin Dyer followed McCorkle up with a home run to dead center, putting the Wildcats up 3-0 late in the game. Another two runs crossed the plate in the sixth for Northwestern after shortstop Tammy Williams went deep, hitting the scoreboard in left field.

Illinois had its chances early and often but never took advantage. The Illini failed to get bunts down and advance runners – something head coach Terri Sullivan said was huge in the end.

“You have to have execution, that’s the big thing,” Sullivan said. “You have to move runners when it’s a tight game against a quality pitcher and a quality team. We need to do that. Little things make the big things happen.”