CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A hot Sunday afternoon at Illinois Field went in favor of Penn State with a final score of 13-4. Prior to the start of the game, Taylor Jackson, Jackson Raper and manager PJ Carmichael were honored for senior day, along with longtime equipment manager John Birdsell who is retiring after 38 years in the athletic department.
All four runs for the Illini came via the long ball. Kellen Sarver hit a solo home run in the second inning and Jackson Raper (2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R) smacked a three-run shot in the fifth inning. Sarver's home run comes on the heels of a multi-home run game on Saturday night when he had a career-high six RBIs.
Penn State (17-23) used the long ball on their side with three home runs of their own. Curtis Robison had two home runs in the game. He hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and a three-run shot in the ninth inning. Cole Bartels hit the other homer in the second inning, a three-run blast to get the scoring started. They would never trail in the game.
RHP Riley Gowens (L, 3.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 SO) did not have his best stuff on Sunday and Penn State was able to jump on him. The Illini used five pitchers out of the bullpen.
Illinois (21-20) will travel to Rutgers next weekend for their final series of the 2021 season.
Notes
• Illinois had their five-game winning streak snapped.
• Illinois has hit 38 home runs in their last 29 games after only four home runs in their first 12 games.
• Kellen Sarver has three home runs in the last two games. At the time of his second-inning home run, he had hit three home runs in his last four at-bats.
• Jackson Raper hit his 11th home run of the season. He leads the team in home runs and RBIs (43).
