IU softball is back on the road this weekend against Illinois after a home series victory over Ohio State.
The first game is at 6 p.m. Friday. The first game of Saturday’s doubleheader will be played at 2 p.m., and the second game will follow at 4:30 p.m. The series will wrap up 1 p.m. Sunday.
Illinois faced Purdue last weekend at Eichelberger Field in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, winning three out of the four games by large margins. The Fighting Illini routed the Boilermakers 9-3 Friday with sophomore utility player Delaney Rummell and senior catcher Bella Loya batting a combined 6-for-7 at the plate. Illinois swept Purdue during the doubleheader Saturday. Junior pitcher Addy Jarvis and freshman pitcher Tori McQueen let up a total of one run during the two games. Despite dropping the series finale, Illinois kept it close in a 6-4 loss.
IU faces a tough series by both being away from home and by playing Illinois. The Illini are 18-10 and have a powerful offense. Rummell shared Player of the Week honors with IU senior left fielder Gabbi Jenkins this week because of her .750 batting average and hitting 9-for-10 against Purdue.
“They hit the ball well,” head coach Shonda Stanton said of Illinois. “The team that doesn’t extend the innings will be the difference maker. Both teams can hit, so the last thing we want is to give free opportunity.”
The Hoosiers have continued the strong momentum from their last two series played against Ohio State and Purdue. Illinois matches up well with IU and presents a tough challenge, so Stanton said this weekend’s series will be dependent on which team can better take advantage of opportunities presented in the moment.
