EVANSTON, Ill. — Illinois baseball (12-8, 2-3), split its doubleheader at Northwestern (9-11, 2-3) today at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park. The Illini were walked off in the first game, 5-4, before rebounding with an 11-6 victory in game two.
GAME 1 | Northwestern 5, Illinois 4
Kyle Schupmann and Jacob Schroeder each homered and Grant Ross tallied an RBI-double. Jack Zebig, along with Ross, posted multi-hit efforts.
Tyler Schmitt took no decision in the start, allowing three runs on three hits over 5.2 innings of work, striking out four. Evan Clark turned in 1.1 scoreless innings in relief and Zach Bates posted a scoreless frame.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Illini took a 2-0 lead in the second when Schupmann crushed a two-run shot and later pushed the lead to three when Schroeder slugged a solo shot in the third.
The Wildcats made it a 3-1 game in the home half of the third but Schmitt retired the side in order in the fourth and the fifth to keep the lead at two.
Northwestern would score twice in the sixth to tie the game at 3-3 but Illinois grabbed the lead right back in the seventh when Ross doubled home Cameron Chee-Aloy to make it 4-3.
The hosts, however, would score two runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Illini 5-4.
GAME NOTES
» Grant Ross went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
» Extended his hitting streak to seven games…has gone 8-for-19 (.421) during that span with a double and eight RBI.
» Jack Zebig went 2-for-5 with a triple.
» Tenth multi-hit game of the season.
» Kyle Schupmann hit his fifth homer of the season.
» Fourth in his last four games.
» Jacob Schroeder homered for the second-straight game.
» Evan Clark worked 1.1 scoreless innings in relief.
» Has thrown 2.1-straight scoreless innings.
» Zach Bates tossed 1.0 scoreless innings.
» Has three-straight scoreless outings, spanning 4.0 innings.
» Every Fighting Illini starter reached base safely in the loss.
» Illinois left 10 runners stranded on base in the loss.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Wildcats at an 8-6 clip.
» Illinois pitchers faced 40 Northwestern hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out six.
GAME 2 | Illinois 11, Northwestern 6
The Illini slugged a season-high five home runs, with Kyle Schupmann going yard twice, with Vytas Valincius, Greg LaChance and Coltin Quagliano also homering in the ballgame. Five different players drove in multiple runs and Illinois drew 11 walks at the plate.
Ben Plumley earned his first win of the season, tossing 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, striking out six. Payton Hutchings tossed the final 3.1 innings of the ballgame to earn his first save of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Schupmann started the scoring again for the Illini when he led off the second inning with a solo blast but the Wildcats got that run back in the bottom half of the frame with a solo home run of their own.
Illinois took the lead for good in the contest with a four-run fourth. Schupmann and Valincius crushed solo shots and Nick Groves capped the frame with a two-run single.
Northwestern got two of those runs back in the home half of the fourth to make it 5-3 but Greg LaChance’s three-run homer in the fifth made it 8-3 Illinois.
The Orange and Blue added to their lead in the sixth, through a Valincius RBI-single and a two-run home run from Quagliano, to make it 11-3.
The Wildcats would score three more runs down the stretch but it would not be enough as the Illini would earn the 11-6 win to split the doubleheader.
UP NEXT
Illinois goes for the series win at Northwestern tomorrow in the finale of this three-game set. First pitch from Miller Park is set for 1 p.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Kyle Schupmann went 3-for-6 with two home runs and two RBI.
» Second multi-HR game this season…both games have come in his last four.
» Has homered in consecutive games for the second time this season.
» Has six home runs in his last five games.
» Third three-hit game of the season.
» Greg LaChance went 2-for-4 with two runs, a double, home run, three RBI and two walks.
» Has 12 walks in 12 games.
» Nick Groves went 2-for-4 with two RBI and walks.
» Ninth multi-hit game of the season.
» Vytas Valincius went 2-for-4 with two runs, a home run and two RBI.
» Has reached base safely in 19-straight games.
» Has hit safely in 17 of 19 games.
» Has driven in at least one run in 15 of 19 games.
» Coltin Quagliano went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, home run and two RBI.
» Third two-hit game of the season.
» Grant Ross went 1-for-4 with two walks.
» Extended his hitting streak to eight games…has gone 9-for-23 (.391) during that span with a double and eight RBI.
» Ben Plumley earned his first win of the season.
» 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 SO
» Third start this season with at least six strikeouts.
» Payton Hutchings earned his first save of the season.
» 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
» Every Illinois starter reached base safely in the win.
» Five Fighting Illini had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Wildcats at a 14-10 clip.
» Illinois went 4-for-9 (.444) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 37 Northwestern hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Fighting Illini drew 11 walks from Northwestern pitching.
» Fourth game this season with double-digit walks.
