Illinois softball lost to Northwestern, 19-5 in five innings, on March 21 in Urbana during the second game of its Big Ten Conference series.
The result is significant as it marks Illinois’ fifth straight loss in conference play and highlights ongoing challenges for the team this season. The Fighting Illini, who compete at the NCAA Division I level and are members of the Big Ten Conference according to the official website, continue to seek their first conference win.
Northwestern took control early with a 12-run first inning that included home runs from Kansas Robinson and Bridget Donahey. Additional doubles by Tru Medina, Grace Nieto, Emma Raye, and Kelsey Nader extended the Wildcats’ lead. Illinois responded in the bottom of the first with a base hit from Skylar Brennan followed by a three-run homer from Adisyn Caryl and a solo home run by Eileen Donahue. However, Northwestern continued to add runs with another three-run homer from Raye in the second inning and more scoring plays through the third.
Illinois managed one more run after loading the bases in a later inning when pinch hitter Ella Cushing was hit by a pitch. Despite these efforts, starting pitcher Abby Sabalaskey took her eighth loss of the season as Illinois fell short.
Brennan went two-for-three at bat for her ninth multi-hit game this year. Caryl also had two hits including her fourth home run of the season—her first in Big Ten play—and drove in three runs. Donahue recorded her sixth home run of the year and now has 17 career homers. Keirys Click was hit by pitch for a team-high seventh time this season; Kelley Wedel holds Illinois’ single-season record with 14 hit-by-pitches set in 2001.
The Fighting Illini hold their home games in Urbana and focus on intercollegiate softball competitions as reported by their official website. The team will finish its current series against Northwestern at noon Central Time on Sunday, March 22. Admission is free for all fans and streaming is available on B1G+.
