It was a rocky weekend on the road for Illini softball as the team managed two wins in four close games against Indiana and Purdue.

The weekend started out on a low note for the Fighting Illini (29-28, 8-10 Big Ten) on Friday against Indiana (16-33, 6-12) when the Illini fell 6-3. Illinois senior pitcher Claire DeVreese shut out the Hoosiers through six innings before they struck for six runs, including a game-ending grand slam by freshman designated player Sara Olson, in the seventh.

But the Illini weren’t about to give up.

“We knew we had every capability of beating this team, so we regrouped and came back out and did what we needed to do,” senior third baseman Shanna Diller said.

In an eight-inning battle Saturday, the Orange and Blue were able to come out on top as they defeated the Hoosiers 15-14. The scoring started in the first with Illinois pushing a run across on an RBI single by Diller. Indiana came back in its half of the inning, scoring five runs on homers by junior shortstop Emily Bergeson and freshman left fielder Brittany Devitt.

Illinois would not score again until the sixth inning on a two-run shot by freshman left fielder Hollie Pinchback. In the seventh, the Illini took their first lead of the game, scoring eight times on four separate two-run hits by sophomore right fielder Hope Howell, Pinchback, sophomore designated player Bailey Behrens and junior catcher Lana Armstrong.

After Indiana tied it up in the bottom of the inning, the Illini scored four times in the top of the eighth. Howell led off the inning with her third long ball of the season. Later in that same inning, with two on and two out, senior shortstop Angelena Mexicano belted her 21st long ball of the season. Mexicano would hit No. 22 on Sunday against Purdue – one short of tying the Big Ten record for home runs in a single season.

The Hoosiers would add three runs in the bottom of the inning before sophomore pitcher Ashley Wright came in for DeVreese and recorded the final three outs of the game for the save.

“We had a heart-breaking loss in the first game, but we were able to come back in the second game and get the win,” head coach Terri Sullivan said. “It was one of the most resilient games I’ve seen this team have.”

Despite homers by Diller and junior first baseman Katrina Ross, the Illini fell to Purdue 6-5 in game one Sunday. But Illinois was able to regroup once again, defeating the Boilermakers 9-2 in game two.

Mexicano led the Illini with four RBIs as she hit her 22nd homer of the season with one on in the fifth inning.

“These games have been really close,” Mexicano said. “We’re fighting for our position and a chance to go to the conference tournament. Every game is important.”

Diller added her second homer of the day in the fourth inning, and Pinchback drove in two runs to fuel the Illini. Going into the last week of the regular season, the Fighting Illini know that they won’t be the only ones playing hard.

“In the last week of the regular season, you want to play your best,” Sullivan said. “Everyone is fighting as hard as they can.”