Illinois (11-28) hosted Western Illinois (10-22) at Eichelberger Field Tuesday evening, kicking off its five-game homestand with an 8-0, five-inning run-rule win.
Junior right-handed pitcher Megan Nuechterlein spun a five-inning shutout, earning her second win of the season and first complete game for Illinois. She improved to 2-4 on the mound, boosting her ERA to 5.66.
“It was good to see (Nuechterlein) going, good to see her feeling good on the mound,” said head coach Tyra Perry. “The team played really well behind her.”
The Illini plated four runs in the second frame and four more in the fifth. The outburst was powered by a two-run home run from sophomore catcher Ellie Haggard, her ninth of the season, and a walk-off two-RBI double from freshman outfielder Brooke Stang.
Two-out rally in second sets foundation
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Illinois broke it open in the second frame, with a two-RBI single from senior outfielder Alaina Miller, starting a two-out rally. The hit scored Stang and sophomore infielder Ava Moore, who both reached on a single.
Junior infielder Adisyn Caryl extended the inning, notching an RBI single scoring Miller. Sophomore infielder Keirys Click reached on a walk and later scored from a throwing error on a stolen base attempt from Caryl.
The Illini bats stayed silent until the fifth frame, when the offensive momentum started back up with a single to center field from junior infielder Eileen Donahue. It was followed by a two-run home run from Haggard.
“We were getting some hits here and there, and we scored and then we kept scoring,” Perry said. “I think all of that was super important that we were able to keep scoring throughout the game.”
To walk it off, Stang logged a double to center field, knocking in freshman infielder Ady Kiddy and sophomore outfielder Taylor Porter. Both underclassmen reached on base hits for the last two runs to seal the run-rule win.
“Some kids that have been working their tails off that got a chance to play like Taylor Porter, Brooke Stang … Ady Kiddy,” Perry said. “It was great to give them a chance to play. So, just really enjoyed watching them.”
Everything comes together
Illinois put together a complete performance, pairing a timely offense with an error-free game behind Nuechterlein. She sealed the shutout by inducing ground balls and fly outs.
The game started with some defensive momentum for the Illini. Illinois stopped Western Illinois from scoring in the first inning on its only attempt to score by throwing the Leathernecks’ leadoff hitter, freshman outfielder Addie McLaughlin, out at home.
McLaughlin notched a hit barely fair to left field. Stang dove for the ball, just missing it, letting it pass by. McLaughlin tried stretching this to an inside-the-park home run, but was thrown out at home. Western Illinois was held scoreless for the rest of the game.
“The first play of the game, one of the first plays, (Stang) missed a ball that she’s able to catch,” Perry said. “It was great to see her recover.”
With contributions from up and down the lineup plus a shutout effort in the circle, Illinois secured its second straight win. This is the Illini’s third winning streak of the season.
“You don’t want to hang around with (Western Illinois) for too long, you want to put the game away,” Perry said. “So, it was great to see our team do that.”
Up Next
Illinois continues its five-game homestand this weekend, hosting No. 10 UCLA (34-5, 13-2) in a Big Ten series. The Illini will kick off the series Friday evening, and first pitch is set for 5 p.m. CDT.
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