BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Illinois Fighting Illini baseball took down Western Kentucky on Friday in game one of the three-game weekend series, 12-7. The Illini (4-7) were led by Branden Comia and Brody Harding offensively, who combined for seven hits and four RBI. Comia also finished the afternoon a single shy of the cycle while scoring three runs.
The Illini offense jumped out to a hot start as Branden Comia doubled home Danny Doligale to put Illinois on the board. An RBI-single by Kellen Sarver padded the Illini lead, followed by a three-run homerun from Cam McDonald, his third of the season and second in as many games, which gave Illinois a 5-0 lead after the top of the first inning.
In the top of the second, sophomore INF Justin Janas crushed his first career home run to center field, a solo shot to give Illinois a 6-0 edge over the Hilltoppers. Branden Comia hit the third Illini home run of the afternoon in just the fourth inning, a two-run shot sparking a five-run inning in which ten batters came to the plate.
Sophomore LHP Cole Kirschsieper earned his third start of the season on the mound, going 6.1 innings while allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out four. Freshman RHP Gavin Schmitt made his first college appearance in relief of Kirschsieper, followed by LHP Ryan O'Hara who saw his first action on the mound this season.
Illinois is off tomorrow and will be back with a doubleheader against Western Kentucky on Sunday with game one (7 inn.) beginning at 12 p.m. CT.
NOTES
• Cam McDonald hit his team-leading third homerun of the season. He has now homered in back-to-back games and three of the last four games.
• Cam McDonald has hit safely in nine consecutive games and has reached base in every game this season (11 game on-base streak).
• Justin Janas hit his first career home run in the second inning.
• Cam McDonald had a season-high four RBI.
• Illinois scored a season-high 12 runs.
• Brody Harding had a career-high four hits.
• Branden Comia finished the game a single shy of the cycle.
• Illinois scored 12 runs in the first five innings, and 0 runs in the final four.
