URBANA, Ill. — Illinois softball (9-27, 1-8 Big Ten) fell to Illinois State, 8-4, on Tuesday afternoon at Eichelberger Field. Ellie Haggard tallied her eighth home run of the season in the loss, while Danika Frazier earned her second start of the year in the circle, falling to 1-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Frazier and the Illinois defense quickly retired the side in each of the first two frames. Eden Echevarria logged a double in the first, and Keirys Click and Jackie Yeager both notched base hits in the second, but Illinois did not capitalize on the hits, and the score remained tied through two innings.
In the third inning, Bailah Bognar tallied a two-RBI home run, and Bella Atkins an RBI single, giving the Redbirds a three-run lead. Ava Boyer sent a double to center to start the fourth frame and Ella Boyer scored her with an RBI single, followed by an Atkins sacrifice fly in the fifth, increasing the Illinois State advantage to five runs.
A two-RBI double from Tatum Wolford in the sixth extended the Illinois State edge to seven runs, but the Fighting Illini fought back in the bottom of the inning. Skylar Brennan singled, Eileen Donahue walked, and Keirys Click singled, scoring Brennan and moving pinch runner Reese Hunkins to third. With two runners on base, Ellie Haggard launched a three-RBI home run off the scoreboard, her eighth this year, decreasing the deficit to three.
Ava Boyer tallied an RBI double in the final frame to notch an eighth run for Illinois State. In the bottom of the inning, pinch hitter Gabrielle Debevec was hit by pitch and Brennan reached base safely behind her. Adisyn Caryl was also hit by pitch to load the bases but the final out came before the Orange and Blue could tally another run. Illinois State finished with the 8-4 victory.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Keirys Click went 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI, her sixth multi-hit outing of the season
- Ellie Haggard was 1-for-3 at the plate with 3 RBI.
- Haggard registered her eighth home run of the season, which leads all Illinois players.
- Skylar Brennan was 1-for-4 at the plate, extending her current reached base streak to seven games, the longest active streak on the squad.
- Brennan now owns a team-high 38 hits this season.
- Eden Echevarria was 1-for-2 at the plate, notching her sixth hit of the year and second double.
- Danika Frazier got the nod in the circle, her second start this season, pitching three innings and conceding three earned runs.
- Frazier falls to 1-1 on the year.
- This is the fifth outing this season where Illinois has been hit by pitch multiple times.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini head to East Lansing, Michigan, for a three-game series at Michigan State, April 3-5. All three games can be streamed on B1G+, or followed on StatBroadcast.
