Comeback Falls Short at Illinois, 9-6

Saturday, March 28

Champaign, Ill.

1:00 PM

Indiana University

Illinois

3/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball

March 28, 2015

Final Stats

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Indiana	1	0	0	0	1	3	1	6	8	2
Illinois	5	0	2	2	0	0	X	9	10	2

Site: Eichelberger Field (Urbana, Ill.)
Score: Indiana 6, Illinois 9
Records: Indiana (10-24, 1-3 Big Ten), Illinois (9-20, 1-3 Big Ten)

Related Links: Statistics | PDF

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Vecvanags (3-7)	7.0	8	6	2	7	4
L - Olson (6-17)	4.0	9	9	9	3	0

URBANA, Ill. - After falling behind 9-1 in the fourth inning, the Indiana softball team scored five straight but were unable to complete the comeback as the Hoosiers dropped game one of Saturday's doubleheader to Illinois, 9-6.

Freshman Rebecca Blitz paced the Indiana offense as she finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk.

Blitz led off the game with a single to left and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brianna Meyer. A Shannon Cawley single put runners on the corner for Kelsey Dotson, who brought in Blitz on a sacrifice fly to give Indiana a 1-0 lead.

The Hoosiers had the opportunity to add more runs in the inning, loading the bases with two outs on a pair of walks. However, a groundout ended the frame.

Illinois responded in a big way in the bottom of the inning, plating five runs on four hits, capped by a three-run homer by Carly Thomas to make it 5-1 in favor of the home team.

After adding another run on a solo blast by Nicole Evans, the Illini made it 7-1 with an RBI single by Kylie Johnson in the third inning.

Indiana once again loaded the bags in the top of the fourth on three straight walks, but the Hoosiers were unable to capitalize as a flyout and fielder's choice left the runners stranded.

Illinois extended the lead to 9-1 in the fourth on Alyssa Gunther's RBI triple and a sacrifice fly by Ruby Rivera.

However, the Hoosiers answered in the form of a solo shot by junior Kelsey Dotson in the fifth inning. Indiana followed up that homer with three runs in the sixth, scoring off RBI singles by Cawley and Lehman, as well as a bases-loaded walk to CaraMia Tsirigos to bring in Meyer.

With two outs in the seventh, Blitz recorded her first career double on a shot to left field. Next batter up, she was brought in on a fielding error by Illinois. The rally was then halted as Illini pitcher Jade Vecvanags recorded her fourth strikeout of the game to seal the win.

Media contact: Caitlin Davis, davis288@indiana.edu