CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois clinched a series win over Rutgers with a 2-1 victory Saturday at Illinois Field. The Illini will go for the three-game series sweep Sunday.
Illinois (22-8, 8-3 Big Ten) improved to 7-1 in one-run games, including two straight over Rutgers after a 13-12 Friday night victory.
Quinn Snarskis gave Illinois one of his best outings of the season. He threw 6 2/3 innings, while allowing only four hits and one unearned run. Snarskis allowed just six base runners and had three 1-2-3 innings.
Doran Turchin sparked both of the Illini's runs. He singled up the middle with two outs in the first to drive in Ben Troike and scored a run after tripling to right center in the third.Â
Illinois pounded 10 hits to Rutgers' four. Michael Michalak had three hits, including two doubles, and Troike and Turchin each had a pair of hits.
Rutgers' only run came in the seventh after an error should have been the third out. Zack Jones relieved Snarskis and got a weak groundout with two runners in scoring position, before giving way to Ryan Thompson (1.0 IP, 0 H) and Joey Gerber (1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 SO).
Gerber, who registered his 11th save, continues to climb Illinois' all-time save records lists. Gerber is tied for third on the single-season list (11) and fourth on the career list (19).
First pitch Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.
Notes
• Illinois is 21-5 in its last 26 games.
• Illinois is 17-3 when scoring first.
• Illinois is 16-1 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 7-1 in one-run games.
• Ben Troike extended his career-long reached base streak to 35 games.
• Bren Spillane, the Illini's leader in nearly every offensive category, missed the game with an injury.
• Joey Gerber's 11 saves are tied for the third-most in an Illinois single season.
• Joey Gerber's 19 career saves are the fourth-most in Illinois history.
