CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Bren Spillane hit two homers and the No. 22/25 Illinois baseball team beat Concordia Chicago 9-6Â Wednesday at Illinois Field. Spillane is hitting .655 (19-29) with eight homers, 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored in the last eight games.
Illinois (16-5) jumped to a 6-2 lead by the end of the fourth inning. Spillane started the Illini's scoring with a solo homer in the third before Illinois' next five runs came on three ground outs, a wild pitch and a two-out RBI single by Zac Taylor.
Concordia Chicago (12-4) tightened the game to 6-5 with three runs in the sixth. Illinois bounced back in the eighth with three runs on a solo shot from Spillane and a two-run home run from Doran Turchin.
Spillane also walked twice in a 2-for-2 day and tied his career high with three runs scored. The reigning NCBWA National Player of the Week has made only five outs in the last five games.
Turchin and Michael Massey each scored two runs for Illinois. Massey's older brother, Andrew Massey, was one of four players with two hits for Concordia Chicago.
Zack Jones (1-0) picked up the win as the first one out of the bullpen in relief of starter Ryan Kutt (3.0 IP, 1 ER). Illinois used six pitchers and Concordia Chicago used five.
The game was added to the schedule 28 hours before first pitch after both teams' midweek games were canceled. Concordia Chicago is ranked No. 5 in the D3baseball.com poll.
Illinois is back at Illinois Field this weekend for three games Friday-Sunday against Iowa. The series finale is scheduled to be aired on Big Ten Network.
Notes
• The game counted towards both teams' record and statistics, although it does not count towards the RPI.
• Illinois has won 15 of its last 17 games.
• Bren Spillane's last 8 games: .655 (19-29), 8 HR, 5 2B, 18 RBI, 48 total bases, .730 on-base percentage, 1.655 slugging percentage
• Michael Massey extended his career-long reached base streak to 26 games.
• Ben Troike extended his career-long reached base streak to 26 games.
• Illinois in the last 17 games: 15-2 record, .292 team batting average, .496 team slugging percentage, 74 extra-base hits (49 doubles, 3 triples, 22 homers), outscored opponents 131-72 (7.71-4.24)
• Illinois is 12-0 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 14-1 when scoring five or more.
