CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Fighting Illini took down Butler at Illinois Field Tuesday afternoon for their first home win of the season, 13-4. The Illini have now won three of the last four games and have scored 36 runs during that span. Five Illini tallied multiple base hits and Jack Crowder threw six innings of one-hit baseball, picking up his first win of the season to lead the Orange and Blue over the Bulldogs.
Illinois (6-8) put up a crooked number in the first inning as Jacob Campbell picked up his sixth extra base hit of the season with an RBI-double off the left field wall. Illinois plated two more runs in the home half of the first to take a 3-0 lead. The Illini followed up with another four runs on four hits in the second inning to jump out to a 7-0 lead through two innings.
Butler (8-8) got on the board with a solo home run in the 6th inning, and the Illini responded in the bottom half as Branden Comia crushed his third homer of the season, a three-run shot to left field. Comia went 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored on the afternoon.
Both the Illini and the Bulldogs added three more runs apiece in the final three innings. Andrew Pogue, Isaak Siefken, Tommy Green, and Calvin Shepherd each saw action out of the bullpen in the final three innings.
Illinois travels to Southern Illinois this weekend for a three-game series against the Salukis in Carbondale.
NOTES
• Cam McDonald has hit safely in 12 consecutive games and has reached base in every game this season (14 game on-base streak).
• Illinois scored has scored a combined 36 runs in the last four games.
• Jack Crowder earned his first win of the season (1-0).
• Illinois is now 6-0 at home against Butler and leads the all-time series 8-1.
