COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Illinois softball team continued the best start in its history Friday, defeating No. 22 Florida State 4-3 and Mississippi Valley State 12-2 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

The Illini (11-1) beat the Seminoles in dramatic fashion, using freshman Jessica Davis' walkoff homer in the seventh. Trailing 4-0, Illinois narrowed the gap in the sixth on Hope Howell's three-run homer.

Illinois added two homers against Mississippi Valley State, one apiece from Audrey Gallien and Kelley Wedel. Freshman Pepper Gay won both games in the circle to move to 5-0.

"Our players came through at clutch times today," Illini assistant Katie O'Connell said. "The quality of the hitters on our team is really starting to show. To beat the caliber of pitchers that we have been beating will help us throughout the year."

In baseball:

Illini thump Notre Dame. Will Strack struck out a career-high six and allowed one run in six innings to lead the Illinois baseball team to an 11-1 season-opening victory against Notre Dame in Clearwater, Fla.

The Illini had 17 hits in the first game of the Big Ten/Big East Challenge at Jack Russell Stadium. Matt Dittman and Craig Lutes had three hits apiece. Brandon Hohl drove in two runs in his collegiate debut.

"Strack was very good," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said. "He was impressive tonight. If we pitch like that, we'll have a chance to win a lot of games. And I was pleased how we hit up and down the lineup. Our guys got a little bit of nervous energy out in the first few innings, then got rolling."

Strack allowed a run in the second, but Illinois tied it in the fourth and then got going in the fifth, scoring six times.

The Illini face South Florida tonight at Bright House Networks Field, spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

In women's tennis:

Northwestern cruises. No. 2 Northwestern won the doubles point and then reeled off the first three singles matches to beat No. 39 Illinois. The final score wasn't available late Friday.

Illinois' Leigh Finnegan and Megan Fudge were victorious at No. 1 doubles against 14th-ranked Lauren Lui and Elena Chernyakova 8-4. But the Wildcats won the other two doubles matches.