Illinois softball (13-19, 0-5) was swept by Minnesota over the weekend. The three losses dropped the Illini to 23-33 all-time against its fellow Big Ten rival.
Game one was played Friday, March 29, where the Illini fell 16-1 in five innings. Junior pitcher Lauren Wiles got the start against Minnesota and added to her record. Senior infielder Megan Ward was the main offensive threat for Illinois, which saw her get three hits with an RBI attributed to it.
“I think we know that we can play better,” head coach Tyra Perry said. “We’re just trying to figure it out.”
Game two was one half of a doubleheader played on Saturday, March 30. Illinois dropped the first game 13-0 in a run-rule loss after just five innings.
Senior pitcher Tori Mcqueen was the pitcher who got the nod for the first game but would come up short in the matchup. Her starting record now is 6-8, and her ERA after today’s game is at 3.14. Minnesota was on a hot start at the plate out, hitting Illinois 10-4.
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“We just got to get tougher,” Perry said. “We can’t worry about one or two things. We get too bogged down.”
Junior utility player Paige Berkmeyer and junior outfielder Stevie Meade both recorded hits in game one, as Minnesota held all the momentum, scoring in every inning except the second. Illinois’s best chance at putting up runs came in the fourth inning, but they left two runners stranded.
Game two of the doubleheader was the closest matchup between the two. However, the Golden Gophers won 6-4. The seventh inning was where the Illini offense prospered, as they tried to come from behind to win the game.
Graduate student Kelly Ryono played a major role for the Illini, going 2-4 with a two-run home run and an RBI in the match-up. Senior utility player Abby Ryniec started the Illinois comeback. Ryniec came in to pinch hit during the seventh and hit her first career triple, which saw a run score that set up Ryono for the two-run blast.
“She’s ready to go, you know, we were just trying to give a different look. Minnesota was just kind of, like, cruising through. So we’re just trying to make some things happen and make some things look different,” Perry said. “Ryniec is a veteran and just used to those situations. So we thought we’d use her to get going.”
Illinois finishes its home stretch with a doubleheader against Indiana State on Wednesday, April 3. The first pitch is at 4 p.m. for game one, and game two is set for 6:30 p.m.
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