COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Illinois baseball team split a doubleheader Friday against Maryland, winning 10-6 and falling 7-1.
Illinois (18-8, 5-3 Big Ten) scored 10 runs in the first five innings but just one in the next 13 frames.
Ben Troike led the offense with four hits on the day - two in each game. Michael Michalak had three hits and Zac Taylor had four RBIs, all on a grand slam in the first game.
Illinois and Maryland (15-16, 3-2 Big Ten) will take Saturday off before finishing the series Sunday. Saturday's game was moved to Friday's doubleheader due to snow in the forecast for Saturday.
Game 1 - Illinois 10, Maryland 6
Zac Taylor hit a fifth-inning grand slam to lead Illinois to a 10-6 win at Maryland in the series opener. Seven Illini had hits and seven scored runs in the victory.
Andy Fisher (3-0) provided his longest outing of the season, going eight innings while allowing three runs on eight hits. Fisher struck out five and retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced.
Doran Turchin also homered in the fifth, a solo shot, as Illinois built a 10-3 lead. All 10 Illini runs came on five extra-base hits - Taylor's and Turchin's homers and doubles from Bren Spillane, Michael Massey and Michael Michalak.
Spillane, Michalak and Ben Troike all had two hits.
Maryland posted three runs in the ninth before Ryan Kutt shut the door by getting the last two outs.
Game 2 - Maryland 6, Illinois 1
Illinois could not get the offense started in the nightcap, falling 7-1. It was the Illini's largest margin in a loss this season.
Maryland evened the series with 6 1/3 strong innings from lefty starter Tyler Blohm. Last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year struck out nine and allowed one run on five hits.
Ben Troike and Grant Van Scoy had multiple hits for Illinois. The Illini left nine runners on base.
Ryan Schmitt went 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits in his first career start. Justin Morris struck the Illini for a home run and two doubles out of the No. 9 hole, his first three extra-base hits of the season.
Notes
• Illinois has won 17 of its last 22 games.
• The second game was the first time this season Illinois has lost by more than three runs (8-5 loss vs. Iowa 3/30/18).
• Illinois is 5-5 in five doubleheaders.
• Five of the Illini's eight losses this season have come in doubleheaders.
• Ben Troike extended his career-long reached base streak to 31 games.
• Michael Massey snapped his career-long reached base streak at 30 games in the nightcap. He also snapped a 10-game hitting streak.
• Illinois is 14-1 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 14-3 when scoring first.
• Illinois is 16-2 when scoring five or more runs.
