URBANA – The unofficial motto for the Illinois softball team is "first things first."

Illini squad members take the words to heart.

"Coach always emphasizes the first inning as the most important," said Sarah Baumgartner, who had two hits in both games of Friday's doubleheader at Eichelberger Field.

"She says the team that gets the early lead usually wins."

The Illini scored enough runs in the first inning of each game to secure the sweep, handing Northwestern 4-2 and 8-2 losses.

Illinois (37-17) plays single games at home today and Sunday against Iowa, the Big Ten runner-up.

"If you get in a groove early, that sets the tone for the whole game," said UI coach Terri Sullivan, whose squad is 33-4 this season when it has scored first.

In Game 1, Katie O'Connell's double drove in the first two runs as the Illini scored all of their runs in the inning.

In the nightcap, Baumgartner and Alicia Hammel had run-scoring hits to highlight a three-run opening inning.

For the season, Illinois has scored in the first inning in 21 games.

The wins improve Illinois' record to 5-5 in Big Ten games. Northwestern is 4-6 in league play. Iowa is 7-1.

Friday's outcome reinforced the unpredictability of the Big Ten. Northwestern won twice at Penn State, which last weekend swept the Illini.

"They battled and came up with big plays," said retiring Northwestern coach Sharon Drysdale, whose team hit into double plays in the seventh inning of both games.

"Their pitchers put the ball across the plate and made you hit it."

Illinois pitchers worked the first 12 2/3 innings before yielding a walk and for 14 innings against the Wildcats combined for 12 strikeouts and one walk.

In the opener, Kathryn Nevard (19-8) retired Northwestern in order in five of the first six innings. She struck out seven Wildcats.

Amanda Fortune (15-9) pitched the distance in the second game. Each UI pitcher allowed one earned run.

Nevard outdueled Brie Brown, who has pitched five shutouts this season. Fortune bested Lauren Schwendimann, last year's Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten.

Illinois has a habit of not letting down after winning the first game of a twin bill. Sullivan's team has swept six of seven doubleheaders. Northwestern became the fifth opponent to lose by a larger margin in Game 2 than in Game 1.

"We get so fired up from the first game, we want to bring it to them the second game," Baumgartner said.