CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --Â Fighting Illini baseball (7-6) fell in their home opener in extra innings, 7-3, to Indiana State (8-8) at Illinois Field.
The Sycamores scored four times in the top of the 10th to spoil the Illini's first home game in 304 days.
The ballgame was sent to extras when Illinois scored three times in the bottom of the seventh. Brody Harding and Danny Doligale set the table with walks, with Harding scoring on a double from Branden Comia. Cam McDonald followed with a two-run single to tie the game. Drake Westcott followed with a single of his own, but Indiana State was able to retire the next three batters to get out of the inning.
The visitors had led since the fourth inning, scoring three times in the frame to take the 3-0 lead. After an RBI-groundout by the Sycamores opened the scoring, the inning was extended on an error, leading to two unearned runs.
Jake Swartz took the mound to start the game for the Illini, and the freshman allowed just two runs, one earned, in 3.1 innings of work, scattering five hits and striking out four.
After the three-run fourth, Logan Tabeling, John Lundgren, TJ Constertina and Jack Wenninger combined to toss five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and whiffing three.
Illinois will be back in action on Friday, where they will face Southern Illinois in Booneville, Miss., at The Plex on the campus of Northeast Mississippi CC. The series was moved due to forecasted inclement weather in Champaign.
GAME NOTES
» Branden Comia extended his on-base streak to 53 games after going 1-for-4 with a run, double, RBI and a walk.
    » He is just 10 games away from matching Cam McDonald's program record of 63 games, which was set last season.
» Drake Westcott went 2-for-4 with a walk in today's game.
    » Westcott extended his hitting streak to nine games (11-for-35) and has three home runs, nine RBI and nine walks during that span.
» Brody Harding went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and a pair of walks.
    » Has multi-hit games in two of his last four and has hit safely in three of his last four.
» Seven of the nine Illini starters reached base safely in the game.
» Illinois left 11 runners stranded on base in the loss.
» Illinois pitchers faced 46 Indiana State hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out eight.
» The Fighting Illini drew six walks from Indiana State pitching.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
