CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Ryan Hampe hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to break an 8-8 tie and lead the Illinois baseball team to a 10-8 win Saturday night against Nebraska. The Illini and Nebraska have split the first two games of the three-game series ahead of Sunday's rubber match at 12 p.m. CT.
Illinois (8-9) was led by three-hit days from Justin Janas and Cam McDonald, who also had three RBIs. Janas and Hampe both scored three times and Hampe and Taylor Jackson and two RBIs apiece.
Hampe's game-winner came off of veteran Nebraska reliever Max Schreiber (1-2). Hampe drilled a pitch over the left field fence, the first homer allowed by Schreiber in 26 straight appearances dating back to his freshman season in 2018.
It was the second straight back-and-forth game between the two teams, as Illinois built a 5-1 lead by the third inning before Nebraska tied it with a grand slam in the fifth from Spencer Schwellenbach. The Illini took the lead back in the bottom of the eighth, then Nebraska tied it again 8-8 in the eighth.
Freshman Jack Crowder (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win by getting the last four outs of the ballgame. He shut the door in the eighth with a strikeout to end the inning and strand two runners, then came back out for the ninth and struck out the final two hitters of the game.
The final game of the series is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT on Sunday. Riley Gowens is scheduled to start on the mound for Illinois.
Notes
• Illinois snapped a three-game losing streak.
• Illinois' 16 hits were a season high and their most since they had 17 hits on April 26, 2019 at Nebraska.
• Branden Comia extended his career-best on-base streak to 35 games dating back to May 18, 2019 at Michigan State.
• Comia is hitting .579 (22-for-38), with six doubles, a home run, six RBIs and 13 runs scored over the last nine games.
• Justin Janas extended his career-best on-base streak to 15 games
