Illinois (19-26) and away games are a duo that continue to find success in the 2024 campaign. While Champaign received torrential downpours for several hours on Tuesday, the softball team spent the afternoon in Chicago, facing the DePaul Blue Demons (8-33).
Better weather brought even better hitting to the Illini, as graduate student right fielder Kelly Ryono tallied an RBI for the fourth consecutive game. DePaul graduate student pitcher Brenna Smith had no answer for Ryono’s approach at the plate on Tuesday.
Trailing 2-1 in the top of the fifth, Ryono destroyed a ball over the fence for a two-run homer, giving Illinois the lead. She returned to the batter’s box the very next inning with one runner on and decided her power surge wasn’t done. After she deposited another ball out of the park, Illinois led 7-2, and Ryono had four RBI to her name.
In between Ryono’s two-run shots, freshman pinch hitter Ella Cady’s first collegiate hit came at a big time. After two of the first three runners reached in the sixth, Cady knocked a ball up the middle, and a run scored on the play. The outfielder pushed the Illinois lead to 5-2 and continued the trend of new players stepping up in recent weeks.
With just six games remaining, head coach Tyra Perry has been searching for sparks to get the Illini trending in the right direction as the postseason draws near. Last weekend it was sophomore second baseman Gabrielle Debevec, now Cady. Junior utility player Zoie Howard also made an appearance Tuesday afternoon with the all-hands-on-deck approach.
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Junior pitcher Lauren Wiles got the midweek start, giving Illinois 5.2 quality innings. The right-hander allowed just two runs through the first five innings as Illinois took a nice lead. An error to begin the sixth rattled Wiles slightly as she allowed two more, one unearned, but this did not dampen an otherwise solid day.
Senior pitcher Tori McQueen came in for the save following the two runs in the sixth to prevent further damage. With a 7-4 lead, the Illini ace made light work of the Blue Demons. McQueen struck out the side in the seventh for another win to cap off game five of the eight-game road trip.
Illinois now sits seven games below .500, but 9-7 in away games. With two series remaining, one on the road and the finale at home, they will likely need several more wins at least to assure themselves a spot in the Big Ten tournament. The combined conference record of their remaining opponents is 12-22, leaving the door open for the Illini to jump higher in the standings.
@benfader7
