LAS VEGAS — Illinois baseball (6-3) rallied from six runs down to earn a 10-9 victory over Washington (3-8) today at Las Vegas Ballpark in the second game of the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic.
The Illini got three-hit games from Nick Groves, Vytas Valincius and Jack Zebig, while Grant Ross, Drake Westcott and Valincius each drove in three runs. All nine starters recorded at least one hit in the contest.
Sam Reed dominated in relief to earn his first win of the season, blanking the Huskies over 4.0 innings of work, allowing just three hits while striking out three. He retired the final 11 batters he faced to end the ballgame.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Washington took a 4-0 after the second and kept that lead through the third as the teams traded scoreless frames.
In the fourth, Illinois got on the board on a pair of RBI-groundouts from Ross and Westcott to make it 4-2. The Huskies would get those runs back in the home half of the inning to make it 6-2.
A Ross RBI-single in the fifth made it 6-3 but Washington would plate three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it a 9-3 game.
Jacob Schroeder would lead off the sixth with a solo blast, his second of the season, which would prove to be the offensive spark that the Illini would need to get back into the game. With runners on second and third, Valincius singled to center to score both runners and make it a 9-6 game. Ross would pick up his second two-out RBI with a single and Westcott would level the contest with a two-run double to make it 9-9.
Reed would emerge from the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth and escape a bases-loaded jam to keep the game tied.
In the seventh, Groves singled with one out and swiped second for his seventh stolen base of the season. Valincius would come up with two outs and would single to score Groves and give Illinois its first lead of the game. Reed needed just four pitches to retire the side in the bottom of the inning to preserve the lead.
Reed would proceed to retire the side in order in both the eighth and ninth innings to give the Orange and Blue the 10-9 win.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini are back in action tomorrow for the finale of the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic. First pitch against No. 15 Texas is set for 1 p.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Vytas Valincius went 3-for-5 with a run and three RBI.
» Has hit safely in all nine games this season.
» Season-high three RBI…fourth multi-RBI game of the season…has driven in runs in eight of nine games.
» Jack Zebig went 3-for-5 with three runs and a walk.
» Season-high three hits…has four-straight multi-hit efforts.
» Nick Groves went 3-for-6 with two runs scored.
» Went 2-for-2 on stolen base attempts.
» Grant Ross went 2-for-4 with a run, three RBI and a walk.
» Season-high two hits and three RBI.
» Sam Reed earned his first victory of the season in relief.
» 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0/ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
» Retired the final 11 batters that he faced.
» Every Illinois starter reached base safely in the win.
» Four Fighting Illini had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Huskies at a 16-15 clip.
» Illinois went 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts in the game and are now 26-for-27 on the season.
» The 26 stolen bases have already surpassed last season’s total of 23.
» Illinois pitchers faced 45 Washington hitters in the game, allowing 13 ground balls and nine fly balls while striking out five.
» The Fighting Illini drew seven walks from Washington pitching.
