It was another warm weather tournament for Illinois softball (5-9) and its fourth in as many weekends. Louisiana State University hosted the Illini and more for the Purple & Gold Challenge.
After five games in three days, the Illini left with another sub .500 weekend, despite a solid first day where they appeared to build some momentum. Louisiana Tech (12-4) was the first opponent on Friday afternoon, settling in for a seven-inning pitchers duel.
Senior pitcher Tori McQueen went the distance for Illinois, allowing just five hits and one run. She added eight strikeouts to the ledger, including a massive punchout to leave the bases loaded in the first. Each one was important for the Illini, who faced the Louisiana Tech ace.
Sophomore Allie Floyd boasts a .85 ERA and .77 WHIP on the season and made life difficult in the box. Junior catcher Paige Berkmeyer managed to get things going for the Illini in the third, pulling a single to left. After graduate student center fielder Serena Starks singled and an error scored a run, junior left fielder Stevie Meade began her big weekend. An RBI double put the Illini ahead 2-1, which was all McQueen needed.
The second half of the doubleheader featured the only Illinois matchup with No. 4 LSU (19-0), and it went right down to the wire. Following her 95-pitch complete game, McQueen got the nod once again against the top-five opponents. The right-hander added 107 to her Friday pitch total, throwing six innings of three-run ball.
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Three runs tied the Tigers’ lowest run total of the season entering the day, giving the Illini a chance. Illinois found themselves down 1-0 again but fought back behind Meade and senior shortstop Megan Ward. Following a Meade single, where she came around to score, Ward knocked a 2-0 pitch to left to give Illinois the lead.
It lasted for two innings before the Illini defense unraveled in the sixth. Three bunts, one sacrifice, a walk, a single and an error resulted in two runs for LSU, giving it a 3-2 win.
Saturday morning began with a familiar foe, as Louisiana Tech lined up against Illinois for the second time. Meade did her best to keep Illinois in the game, reaching base multiple times for the sixth game in a row. Her RBI single in the seventh wasn’t enough for the Illini, who lost the rematch 4-2.
Yet another team from the host state of Louisiana crossed paths with Illinois in their fourth game as a good McNeese (12-8) squad took the diamond. With McQueen back in the circle, Illinois settled in and managed to pull out another win. Seven innings, four hits and no runs gave the Illini offense confidence, and Berkmeyer put them on top in the fourth.
Holding a late 1-0 lead, insurance came in the form of Starks and freshman pinch hitter Delaney Mosley. The two extra runs made for a much less anxious seventh inning after McQueen allowed two batters to reach. With the tying run at the plate, McQueen calmly retired the final two batters, reaching 115 pitches for her third win of the season.
The Illini dropped their final game on Sunday morning 3-0 to San Diego State, dropping them to 2-3 on the weekend. After its worst start since 2015, Illinois now receives a much-needed 10 days off before its home-opening doubleheader against Missouri on March 13.
@benfader7
