Sophomore right-hander Danika Frazier had pitched in 10 games this season entering Illinois’ (9-26, 1-8) second contest against Minnesota (13-21, 5-4) this weekend.
She’d pitched in blowout losses, one-run losses and even spun all seven innings in a losing effort against Northern Iowa (17-13), but she hadn’t appeared in a game that her team won.
Thanks to a 14-run outburst from Illinois’ bats on Saturday, that’s no longer the case.
Frazier’s first win
Illinois jumped out to its first lead since March 18 on Saturday. Back-to-back singles from junior infielder Eileen Donahue and sophomore infielder Kierys Click spotted Frazier a two-run cushion.
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Frazier, making her first start of the season, allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the frame, but kept Illinois narrowly ahead. When she returned to the mound in the bottom of the second, Illinois’ slim 2-1 lead was now a comfortable 10-1 advantage.
The Illini chased a pair of Golden Gopher pitchers in the frame with a thousand paper cuts. The team tallied eight hits — seven singles and one double — in the top of the second. Donahue, Click, freshman infielder Ady Kiddy and junior outfielder Skylar Brennan all had RBI hits in the inning.
Illinois tacked on four more runs in the following innings. Donahue capped off the scoring with a two-run homer, her seventh of the season and fourth hit of the game.
Frazier stayed in the circle all afternoon, picking up her first collegiate win and complete game in the process. She allowed six runs over five innings of work, walking one and striking out a pair as Illinois’ offense carried the day.
Gophers’ golden arm
Golden Gopher senior right-hander Sydney Schwartz completely stifled the Illini offense in this weekend’s other contests. Schwartz took the ball on Friday and Sunday, turning in a pair of complete games. The right-hander held Illinois to just a pair of runs in 14 innings of work in the series.
On Friday, Schwartz kept Illinois off the scoreboard for the first six innings while Minnesota built up a 5-0 lead. The Illini found some fight in the final frame, with Click launching a home run to lead off the seventh inning. Illinois plated one more before falling 5-2 in the opener.
The Gophers again turned to Schwartz on Sunday, and she once again delivered. Schwartz turned in her fourth complete-game shutout of the month, needing just 89 pitches to send the Illini back out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The right-hander pitched to contact in the finale, inducing 14 groundouts from Illinois. Only sophomore catcher Ellie Haggard recorded multiple hits for the Illini in the 2-0 loss.
Schwartz, who ranks among the conference leaders in ERA (2.34), WHIP (1.09) and strikeouts (91), conceded just nine hits and one walk in the series. Click’s home run on Friday was the only extra-base knock the Illini picked up against the Gophers’ ace.
Redbirds fly south
The Illini return home on Tuesday to take on the Illinois State Redbirds (18-11). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CDT. Illinois has taken nine of its last 10 contests against its in-state rivals, including the most recent meeting last season.
@BrendanGallian
