Illinois (7-6) is now three weekends into its season, and the team is finding its groove. The Illini walked away from The Marucci Classic with three wins, one loss and many positives to take away from their outing in Raleigh. They scored 28 runs across four games and established their dominance early on.
Here are some central pieces of success from Illinois’ weekend tournament.
Swinging strengths
The bats connected with the ball well for the Illini, and hits were abundant this weekend. In their first game against the Central Michigan Chippewas (1-8), the Illini finished with 15 hits, four of which came from sophomore infielder Adisyn Caryl.
“It was team ball,” said head coach Tyra Perry. “We have this thing that we call ‘pass the bat,’ and I believe I saw it at its highest level.”
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Everyone got a piece of the pie offensively in North Carolina. Nine players got a hit in the first game against Central Michigan, as Illinois attacked right out the gate.
Not only did the Illini hit well, but they hit the ball hard. Five Illini put up home runs in the tournament. If their bats link with the ball the rest of the season as well as they did this weekend, then the remainder of the year should be action-packed.
Freshmen impact
Two of the five athletes who scored home runs this weekend were freshmen. Six-foot first baseman Ella Cushing started with a bang — literally. In the first game against the Chippewas, Cushing hit a grand slam for her first collegiate home run.
“She is awesome; she is an awesome human being,” Perry said about Cushing. “She just plays her role. Whatever you ask her to do, she does it. We were all so excited when she got up there and took care of business. She has a great swing, and we’ll keep bringing her to the plate and seeing what she can do.”
Being young in collegiate play doesn’t stop the Illini from performing at the plate. Another freshman who stepped up to the challenge was shortstop Ava Moore. On Saturday against Northern Colorado (4-10), Moore hit her first career home run as well.
“She is a wonderful human and can take tough coaching,” Perry said about Moore. “It’s kind of fun to just coach and just talk them through things. I think it’s going to help us move along a lot faster because we can have direct conversations with our youngsters.”
Coachable, talented and eager are all words to describe the newcomers of Illinois. Their readiness to play and cooperation with the team led to enhanced success all around. The future is certainly bright for this Illinois squad.
Collective energy, momentum
Tournaments are much more enjoyable when the Illini perform well offensively and runs are continuously coming in. However, another vital element to the triumphs of this team is the spirit and passion they exhibit on the field.
“I would say energy-wise, this has been one of the best teams I’ve been a part of,” Perry said. “A lot of it is the newcomers. They’re just themselves; they have these big personalities, and they mesh together.”
Softball players are well-known to be loud and proud from their dugouts. They cheer on their teammates when they step up to the plate, and this support goes a long way.
“We had some really late-night games and some cold games, but you will hear them just cheering and chattering away,” Perry said. “I would say Keirys Click is one of the energy keepers. I would also say Ellie Haggard is a big personality that keeps the fun going.”
There’s nothing better than winning and having fun while doing so. The Illini had an exciting weekend, and there’s plenty of more liveliness to come this year.
@tess_eken
