LAS VEGAS — Illinois baseball (5-3) took a 5-4 lead into the top of the ninth but a six-run frame from Texas Tech (2-5) handed the Illini a 10-6 defeat, today at Las Vegas Ballpark in the opening game of the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic.
Jack Zebig and Kyle Schupmann each tallied two hits and an RBI and Coltin Quagliano also picked up an RBI-triple in the contest.
Tyler Schmitt took no decision in his start on the mound, allowing three runs over 4.0 innings of work. Jake Swartz turned in another solid relief outing, yielding just one run on two hits over 4.0 innings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Red Raiders took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly their first time to bat and the Illini would level the contest on Quagliano’s RBI-triple in the second.
Tech pushed another run across in the third but Illinois took its first lead of the ballgame by scoring twice in the home half of the frame on a pair of sacrifice flies.
Another Red Raider sacrifice fly made it a 3-3 game in the fourth before the Illini took the again through Drake Westcott’s two-out RBI-single in the sixth.
Texas Tech would scratch a run across in the eighth to make it 4-4 and again Illinois would respond with a run in the eighth, with Quagliano scoring all the way from first on an error in the outfield to make it 5-4.
The Red Raiders, however, would rally for six runs in the ninth to take a 10-5 lead. Zebig would record an RBI-single in the ninth but it would ultimately be not enough as Illinois fell 10-6.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini return to action tomorrow at the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic. First pitch against Washington is set for 2 p.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk.
» Went 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts…has gone 8-for-8 on the season.
» Kyle Schupmann went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
» Fourth multi-hit game of the season.
» Jack Zebig went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk.
» Third-straight two-hit game…has five two-hit games this season.
» Vytas Valincius went 1-for-4 with a run and a walk.
» Has hit safely in all eight games this season.
» Jake Swartz turned in another solid multi-inning relief outing.
» 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
» Illinois went 4-for-12 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 47 Texas Tech hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 14 fly balls while striking out six.
» The Fighting Illini drew seven walks from Texas Tech pitching.
