Sweet finale for seniors

Armstrong, Ross each homer to propel Illini to sweep against Wildcats

URBANA – Lana Armstrong's final at-bat in her final game at Eichelberger Field created a new chapter in the history of the Illinois softball program.

The senior's one-out, walkoff home run in the bottom of the seventh inning concluded Illinois' comeback from a six-run deficit as the Illini secured a 9-8 triumph on Sunday over nationally ranked Northwestern.

The other senior in the UI starting lineup, Katrina Ross, capped Saturday's rally with a walkoff, seventh-inning home run.

"It's like you dream about in your basement at home," Armstrong said. "The fact that a fellow senior finished it yesterday couldn't have been more perfect."

The historic nature of the accomplishment is that the sweep of the Wildcats, ranked seventh in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, is the first time in the 10-year history of the Illinois program it has beaten top 10 teams on consecutive days.

"It takes believing," Illini coach Terri Sullivan said.

Armstrong tested the theory with her final swing at Eichelberger Field.

"I thought it would be a popup," the veteran catcher said. "I was praying, 'Wind, catch it. Wind catch it.' "

On a day when the official box score listed the conditions as "80s and ridiculously windy," Armstrong's blast was inches out of reach for Wildcats' center fielder Kelly Dyer.

"We always say 'weather is your friend, not your foe,' " Sullivan said.

The central theme of the 2009 team was established early, with Christine Christopoulos, Bailey Behrens and Danielle Zymkowitz creating "believe" wrist bracelets the squad wears during games.

It was a good reference point on a Sunday afternoon that produced one of the most bizarre home games in history.

The Wildcats (28-11) staked 26-game winner Lauren Delaney to a 6-0 lead before a third inning when 27 of the first 30 pitches she threw were out of the strike zone. She issued five four-pitch walks in the inning with Illinois' first hit, Hope Howell's double, driving in two runs.

When Delaney walked two Illini in the fourth without throwing a strike, Jessica Smith was summoned. The first batter she faced, Ashley Conrad, drilled a three-run home run off the UI scoreboard.

"This time of year, you've got to get your best performances," Sullivan said.

Ross moved into the team lead for homers, belting her seventh on a no-doubter in the fifth that gave the Illini their first lead, 7-6.

Some UI standouts for the day were unexpected and unheralded players. Nikki Simpson played in the field for the second time all season, playing right field for Howell, who has a torn hamstring.

Simpson ended the sixth inning with a catch at the warning track. Pinch hitter Audrey Gallien created an 8-8 tie in the bottom of the inning with a single that drove in Jamie Adishian.

"The role players pulled us through," Sullivan said. "We had so many people contributing."

Monica Perry (21-12) earned the win even though she hit a single-game school record five batters and yielded two home runs, raising her season record for home runs yielded to 36. A day after becoming the school's seventh 20-game winner, Perry walked one and struck out three.

Illinois is 25-14 overall and 9-6 in Big Ten play entering Wednesday's 2 p.m. doubleheader at Purdue.

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