CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The No. 22/25 Illinois baseball team scored nine runs in the third inning and hung on for a 13-12 win against Iowa to even the three-game series. Bren Spillane had four hits and two homers to up his season batting average to .500 and home run total to 14.
Spillane continues to be the hottest hitter in the nation. Over the last 10 games he is batting .676 (25-37) with 11 homers, six doubles and 23 RBIs. Spillane moved into a tie with Cal's Andrew Vaughn for the national lead in homers.
Illinois (17-6, 4-1 Big Ten) started the third inning with eight straight hits to make a 1-0 lead a 10-0 lead before the inning was over. Spillane began the third with a single and later smashed a solo homer as the 10th batter of the frame. He added his second home run of the day to lead off the eighth.
Five Illini had multiple hits and eight scored runs. Michael Massey went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple and Jack Yalowitz was 3-for-5 with two doubles. Illinois had eight extra-base hits of its 17 total.
Andy Fisher (2-0) allowed five runs (two earned) over six innings to earn the win. Joey Gerber came in with one out in the ninth, after Iowa rallied, to close the door on his seventh save.
Iowa (15-8, 2-2 Big Ten) scored seven runs in the top of the ninth. The Illini walked three in the inning and Tanner Wetrich hit a three-run homer.
Hawkeyes starter Brady Schanuel (4-3) could not get out of the third inning, allowing six earned runs on seven hits while getting six outs in the game.Â
Illinois and Iowa are scheduled to finish the series Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be aired nationally on Big Ten Network.
Notes
• Bren Spillane this week: .800 (8-10), 5 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R
• Bren Spillane is believed to be the fastest Illini to 14 home runs in program history (23 games). Josh Klimek hit 13 homers in the first 25 games of 1996, the year he hit a program-record 26 home runs.
• Bren Spillane's last 10 games: .676 (25-37), 11 HR, 6 2B, 23 RBI, 64 total bases
• In the last 10 games, Bren Spillane has been retired only 12 times and has 11 home runs.
• Bren Spillane is hitting .741 (43-58) when he puts the ball in play.
• Bren Spillane is one home run away from Illinois' single-season top-10 list.
• Bren Spillane has more home runs than half the Big Ten teams (6 of 12 others in the Big Ten).
• Illinois has won 16 of its last 19 games.
• Illinois is 15-2 when scoring five or more.
• Illinois is 13-2 when scoring first.
• Illinois is 13-0 when leading after four innings.
• Michael Massey extended his career-long reached base streak to 28 games.
• Ben Troike extended his career-long reached base streak to 28 games.
