Illinois defeats Western Illinois, breaking a seven game losing streak

Illinois Infielder Adisyn Caryl hit the ball over right field to help the team score a game-winning run.
Illinois Infielder Adisyn Caryl (pictured above) hit the ball over right field to help the team score a game-winning run.

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — The Fighting Illini softball team broke their seven-game losing streak at home against Western Illinois Tuesday night, taking home a 7-6 victory. It came down to the last inning to determine a winner, but Illinois was able to get back in the win column.

Takeaways

WIU: Western Illinois had a real competition with  Illinois. After being down 4-0, the Leathernecks were able to get the bases loaded. After some fielding errors, Western Illinois was able to tie the game up 4-4 and take the lead in the last inning of the game.

Illinois: Despite the victory, Illinois’ consistent fielding errors remained an issue. There were moments in the game where Illinois was in control of fielding,but  simple errors created an opportunity for Western Illinois to get themselves right back into the game.

Key moment

Entering the bottom of the final inning, it looked like Illinois was going lose once again at home. After losing a four run lead in the fifth inning, Illinois was down 6-5. With a single from left fielder Stevie Meade, freshman shortstop Keirys Click ran to home plate to tie the game 6-6.

After Yazzy Avila stuck out, Illinois was faced with two outs. Sophmore Adisyn Caryl stepped up to the plate and hit the ball over right field to help freshman Taylor Porter to score the game winning run.

Key Stat

Adisyn Caryl continues to lead the team with 20 RBIs and a game winning base hit further adds to a a great season for the sophomore. 

Up Next

Illinois will travel to Evanston for a weekend series against Northwestern starting on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Jonathan Mathew