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UI roundup:

matt daniels, the news-gazette, champaign-urbana, ill.
·5 min read

Mar. 2—URBANA — Illinois men's tennis coach Brad Dancer has said this season he likes the potential of his team.

Easy enough to understand.

Especially after the 19th-ranked Illini ran their win streak to five matches after a 5-2 win against No. 14 Baylor on Friday evening at Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana.

The Illini (7-2) also came through with a 5-0 win against Eastern Illinois earlier on Friday at Atkins.

Illinois won the doubles point againt the Bears and then cruised to three straight singles wins to clinch the match. The No. 2 doubles team of Hunter Heck and Karlis Ozolins won 6-1 before the No. 1 doubles tandem of Lucas Horve and Oliver Okonkwo won 6-4 to put Illinois ahead 1-0.

Once singles play started, Okonkwo secured the first win for Illinois with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph at No. 5 singles, and Kenta Miyoshi gave Illinois a 3-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 4 singles. Ozolins closed the win out by delivering a 6-3, 7-5 victory at No. 1 singles.

Alex Petrov added a 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8) win at No. 3 singles.

In the win against EIU, Illinois won the doubles point and then cruised to four singles wins. Miyoshi won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, Mathis Debru won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4 singles, Horve won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 5 singles and Tyler Bowers won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.

In softball

Illini split. A chance to hand fourth-ranked LSU its first loss of the season didn't materalize on Friday for Illinois.

Hours after the Illini defeated Louisiana Tech 2-1 on Friday in their first game at the Purple and Gold Challenge in Baton Rouge, La., the host Tigers remained unbeaten with a 3-2 win against Illinois.

Illinois (4-7) led the Tigers 2-1 after five innings, but LSU rallied with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning off Illini starter Tori McQueen to come away with the victory.

McQueen (2-2) threw all six innings for the Illini, giving up five hits and walking two. The left-hander struck out five.

Illinois trailed 1-0 after three innings, but went ahead with a two-run fourth.

Left fielder Stevie Meade led off the inning with a single and with one out, came around to score on a double by third baseman Adisyn Caryl. The Illini then took a 2-1 lead when, with two outs, shortstop Megan Ward singled to plate Caryl.

In the win against Louisiana Tech, Illinois received a superb pitching performance McQueen and just enough offense to top the Bulldogs.

McQueen threw a complete game, scattering five hits. She walked two and struck out eight, only giving up a first-inning run.

Illinois scored both of its runs in the top of the third, all with two outs. Pinch-runner Gabrielle Debevec tied the game at 1 by scoring on a throwing error by Louisiana Tech catcher Brooke Diaz, and Illinois took the lead for good at 2-1 following an RBI double from Meade. Meade and center fielder Serena Starks both finished 2 for 3.

In women's tennis

Illini fall to Huskies. Illinois won the doubles point during its home match on Friday afternoon against Washington at Atkins Tennis Center, but the visiting Huskies won every singles match to win 4-1.

The loss is the third straight for the Illini (8-5).

The No. 1 doubles team of Megan Heuser and Alice Xu won 6-3 and the No. 2 doubles pairing of McKenna Schaefbauer and Violeta Martinez also won 6-3, but Illinois did not win a set in singles play.

In men's gymnastics

Illini pick up two wins. No. 3 Illinois accumulated a score of 410.500, easily outpacing William & Mary and Simpson on Friday night in a triangular at Huff Hall. The Illini (11-1) received first-place finishes from Connor McCool (14.700) in the floor exercise, Brandon Dang (14.950) in the pommel horse, Ashton Anaya in rings (14.400), Amari Sewell in vault (14.900), Vahe Petrosyan (14.150) in parallel bars and Ryan Vanichtheeranont (14.000) in high bar.

In women's gymnastics

Illini place second. No. 23 Illinois posted a score of 196.325 on Friday night in a four-team meet in Columbus, Ohio, with No. 15 Ohio State winning with a score of 196.800. Kent State (196.126) and Bowling Green (194.275) also competed.

Mia Townes (9.875) won vault, while Mia Takekawa and Lyden Saltness tied for first in bars (9.900).

In baseball

Schedule change. The opening day of the First Pitch Invitational was rained out on Friday, causing an adjustment to the Illini's weekend schedule in Greenville, S.C.

Illinois (3-5) was slated to play Florida State on Friday afternoon, but that game is now moved to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. It's the second game of the day for the Illini, who are now set to play Western Michigan at 3 p.m. on Saturdayin their first game of the tournament.

Illinois is slated to end its weekend with a 10 a.m. game on Sunday against Michigan State in Greenville.