CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Ben Troike hit a walk-off two-out single through the right side Friday to give the Illinois baseball team a 2-1 win over Penn State in 10 innings. It was a pitchers' duel throughout as the wind was pushing straight in at a consistent 20-25 MPH.
Illinois (23-13, 4-6 Big Ten) got a tremendous effort on the mound from fifth-year seniors Andy Fisher and Sean Leland. They split the game with five innings apiece, as Fisher allowed one run on three hits and struck out eight and Leland pitched five scoreless on only one hit and seven punch outs. It was the best outing in an Illinois uniform for Leland, who helped the Illini tie a season high with 15 strikeouts.Â
Penn State (17-16, 1-11 Big Ten) retired the first two batters of the 10th inning before Andrew Dyke reached on a soft hit to the pitcher and advanced to second on a throwing error. After Jacob Campbell singled to short, Troike laced a ball through a wide open right side of the infield as Dyke trotted home.Â
The pitching staff continued to give Illini hitters a shot with scoreless frame after scoreless frame. Illinois struggled to push a run across, in part because of the wind, until Michael Massey tripled and scored in the seventh.Â
Massey, Troike and Sarver each had two hits. Sarver had Illinois' other RBI on a sac fly. Troike's hit made the teams a combined 2-17 with runners in scoring position (Illinois 2-12, Penn State 0-5).
Penn State scored in the third after No. 9-hole hitter Connor Klemann led off with a triple to left center. Klemann came home on Conlin Hughes' dribbler to third base on the next pitch.
Dante Biasi, one of the top pitchers in the Big Ten, shutout Illinois in the first 5 1/3 innings. Mason Mellott (4-3) was tagged with the loss despite allowing only one earned run in 4 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
Illinois and Penn State are back Saturday at Illinois Field for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch. The Illini look to clinch their fourth straight series victory against Penn State in Champaign (2010, '13, '16).
Notes
• Illinois and Penn State played for the first time since March 27, 2016. Illinois played every other Big Ten program at least four games between games against Penn State.
• Illinois pitchers struck out 10+ for the eighth time in the last 13 games.
• Illinois is 2-1 in extra-inning games.
• Illinois has won 12 of its last 13 games against Penn State.
• Illinois played error-free and has made only five errors in 10 Big Ten games.
• Illinois is 22-5 when allowing six or fewer runs.
• Illinois is 10-3 at home.
• Illinois ' bullpen has a .180 batting average against, 3.39 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 135 1/3 innings pitched this season.
• Opponents are hitting .195 with runners in scoring position against Illinois this season (66/339).
• Cam McDonald snapped a career-long seven-game hitting streak.
• Reached base streaks: Van Scoy 19, McDonald 8, Taylor 8, Troike 8, Yalowitz 7
• Grant Van Scoy is on a career-long 19-game reached base streak.
• Cam McDonald is on a career-long eight-game reached base streak.
Highlights
