URBANA — Illinois rolled through the middle of April. Ten straight wins vaulted the Illini into the top tier of Big Ten softball, thanks to series sweeps against Purdue and Michigan State.
Illinois also found itself ranked for the first time since 2011, entering the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 at No. 25.
That momentum has been sapped in less than a week. After beating Wisconsin on April 28 in the series opener against the Badgers, Illinois has lost five straight. A 7-4 loss Friday night to Ohio State at Eichelberger Field was merely the latest in a quick, downward trend for the Illini.