CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Kellen Sarver hit a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth inning Sunday and the Illinois baseball team held on to beat Nebraska 6-5 at Haymarket Park. Illinois won the series 2-1.
"We found a way to get our jobs done today," said head coach Dan Hartleb. "There are some things we have to clean up but we win a series on the road against a Nebraska team that was on top of the conference. That's not easy at any point. Proud of our guys for getting us through the adversity."
Illinois (28-14, 8-7 Big Ten) held a 4-0 lead before Nebraska stormed back with a run in the sixth and three in the seventh to tie it 4-4. That set up Sarver for the clutch double to deep right center to give the Illini the lead for good.
"That was a great at-bat," said Hartleb. "(Sarver) had a really, really good approach. He caught a mistake and drilled it. Unbelievable at-bat and a huge hit for him. Really proud of his composure."
Garrett Acton closed out the ninth to earn his Illinois record-tying 14th save. Nebraska (23-16, 12-6 Big Ten) scored one run in the ninth and had runners at second and third with two outs, before Acton got a ground out to Ben Troike at shortstop to finish the game.
Illinois built its lead thanks to Jack Yalowitz's two-run homer in the fourth, which cut through the 15 MPH wind blowing straight in from right field. Michael Massey added an RBI double in the third and Yalowitz also doubled and scored in the sixth on a Michael Michalak single.
Cyrillo Watson started on the mound, allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings while tying his career high in strikeouts with eight. Sean Leland (5-2) was the winner after allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings through the seventh and eighth.
Illinois has five games next week, starting with a Tuesday game at Southern Illinois. The Illini return home to face Indiana State on Wednesday and host Indiana for three games Friday-Sunday.
Highlights
Notes
• Illinois has won six of its last seven games.
• Illinois only trailed after one at-bat in the entire series, Nebraska's walk-off hit on Saturday.
• Home teams had won the last four Illinois vs. Nebraska series before this weekend.
• Illinois is 14-10 all-time against Nebraska, including 11-10 since the Huskers joined the Big Ten.
• Illinois has only two errors in the last eight games. The Illini snapped a three-game streak of no errors with a throwing error on a pickoff play.
• Illinois has a fielding percentage of .987 in Big Ten games (seven errors in 15 games).
• Opponents are hitting .200 with runners in scoring position against Illinois this season (77/385). Nebraska was 6-for-27 in the series with runners in scoring position.
• Grant Van Scoy snapped a career-long 24-game reached base streak. Van Scoy hit .377 (34-90) during the 24-game streak with six doubles, one triple, two homers and 13 RBIs.
• Michael Massey extended his hitting streak to nine games.
• Reached base streaks: Taylor 14, Yalowitz 13, Massey 10, Sarver 10
