Gerber Closes Out Nebraska, Ties Saves Record

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Ben Troike and Michael Massey homered and Joey Gerber closed out his 14th save Thursday in the Illinois baseball team's 5-2 win over Nebraska. Gerber tied Tyler Jay's Illinois single-season saves record.

Illinois (30-17, 14-8 Big Ten) won for the 30th time this season and moved one step closer in its push to make the NCAA tournament. The Illini could finish anywhere from third to seventh in the Big Ten standings with two games left on the regular season schedule.

The Illini were outhit 10-8 by Nebraska, but the Illini had four run-producing extra-base hits while the Cornhuskers hit all singles. Troike's homer was a two-run shot to tie the game in the first, Massey hit a solo homer inside the right field foul pole in the fourth and Doran Turchin and Jack Yalowitz provided back-to-back RBI doubles in the sixth.

That was all the runs Illinois' bullpen needed to set up Gerber in the ninth. Ryan Schmitt (1.1 IP, 2 H), Zack Jones (1.0 IP, 1 H) and Ryan Thompson (1.2 IP, 1 H) all had scoreless outings after starter Cyrillo Watson allowed two runs on six hits in the first four frames.

Gerber struck out two and walked one while facing four batters in the ninth. He is two saves away from Jay's career saves record of 24.

Nebraska (23-27, 7-13 Big Ten) remained alive in the race for the eighth and final qualifying spot in the Big Ten Tournament with losses from Maryland and Michigan State. The Huskers need to beat Illinois twice and have both Maryland (at Indiana) and Michigan State (vs. Ohio State) lose their two remaining games.

The teams are back Friday at Illinois Field for the second game of the three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

Notes

• Illinois is 22-1 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 29-10 when scoring three or more runs.
• Joey Gerber is tied for third in the nation with 14 saves.
• Joey Gerber's 22 career saves are third-best in Illini history behind Tyler Jay's 24 and Jeff Richards' 23.
• Ben Troike has reached base in all 47 games this season. His current reached base streak is 52 dating back to the final five games of last season, the second-longest active streak in the nation.
• Bren Spillane's 145 total bases are tied for seventh-most in Illinois history with Lars Davis' 2007 season. Josh Klimek owns the record of 188 in 1996.
• Bren Spillane's slugging percentage dropped to .935 with a 1-for-4 day, remaining the best in the nation.