CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- The Illinois baseball team scored its most runs since 2015 and led by as many as six runs Friday night before holding on for a 15-14 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Whataburger Field. Pat McInerney had a career-best five RBIs, three on a bases-loaded double and two on a bases-loaded single, and Ben Troike added four hits and three RBIs in the Illini's first game of the Kleberg Bank College Classic.
Illinois (2-3) never relinquished its lead after getting ahead 5-1 with five runs in the third but Corpus Christi (1-4) never went away. The Islanders scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to pull within one before Cyrillo Watson stranded two runners in scoring position with a strikeout of Drake Osborn to end the game.
The Illini had six players get multiple hits, including McInerney, Doran Turchin, Michael Massey and No. 7-9 hitters Bren Spillane, David Craan and Troike. The bottom three of the order, led by Troike's four hits, three runs and three RBIs, went 9 for 14 with three RBIs and nine runs scored. Craan added three hits and four runs scored and Spillane went 2 for 5 with two runs.
Troike also shined defensively, playing a part in three of five Fighting Illini double plays. The five double plays tied an Illinois program record, also set on May 23, 2007 and April 23, 1997.
Massey, who drove in three runs on two hits, started four of the five double plays from second base. Last season, only 16 NCAA Division I teams turned five or more double plays in a game.
Cole Bellair (1-1) picked up his first win of the season in relief of Luke Shilling. Bellair allowed three earned runs in three innings after Shilling surrendered four earned in the first four frames. Watson (1) earned his first collegiate save by getting the final three outs and allowing one run on one hit.
Corpus Christi starter Korey Rasure (0-2) was tagged with the loss. The Islanders were led by four players with three RBIs, Nick Anderson, Dalton Stark, Jackson Owens and Nkosi Djehuti-Mes.
The Fighting Illini's 15 runs were the program's most since beating Rutgers 28-13 in 2015.
Illinois is back at the Kleberg Bank College Classic at 2 p.m. Saturday against No. 25 Houston. Quinten Sefcik is scheduled to pitch for the Illini.
