PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Fighting Illini baseball (22-23, 11-11) dropped their series opener, a narrow 5-4 contest, to Rutgers (31-18, 12-7) on Friday night at Bainton Field.
The Scarlet Knights grabbed the lead in the second with a three-run home run and would later add to it with a pair of runs in the fourth to make it 5-0.
Illinois would get on the board in the fifth, when Cal Hejza led off the frame with a solo blast, his fifth of the year, to make it 5-1.
Joe Glassey kept Rutgers off the board with 4.1 scoreless frames in relief to keep the Illini in the ballgame. The redshirt junior did not allow a hit and struck out three batters in his first outing since April 30.
Ryan Moerman would push Illinois' second run across in the seventh, an RBI-groundout to score Branden Comia, making it a 5-2 game.
Danny Doligale brought the Illini within a run when he slugged a clutch two-out, two-run homer in the eighth to make it 5-4, but the Orange and Blue went down in order in the ninth to end the game.
The Fighting Illini will be back in action tomorrow for game two of this series against the Scarlet Knights. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Cam McDonald went 4-for-5.
» Second four-hit game of the season.
» Danny Doligale went 2-for-4 with a run, home run and two RBI.
» Extended his hitting streak to three games...has gone 5-for-11 (.455) with two doubles, a home run and four RBI during that span.
» Has back-to-back two RBI games.
» Has two multi-hit games in his last three.
» Drake Westcott went 2-for-5.
» Extended his hitting streak to seven games...is batting .455 (15-for-33) with six home runs and 13 RBI during that span.
» Has four-straight multi-hit games.
» Cal Hejza went 1-for-3 with two runs, a home run, an RBI and a walk.
» Has an RBI in three-straight games, a season-long streak.
» Joe Glassey tossed 4.1 scoreless innings and did not allow a hit.
» Struck out three batters and issued two walks.
» Fourth scoreless outing in relief with at least 3.0 innings pitched.
» Illinois' highest scoring inning was the eighth, when it pushed two runs across.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Scarlet Knights at an 11-4 clip.
» Third-lowest hit total allowed by Illinois pitchers this season.
» Illinois pitchers faced 36 Rutgers hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out four.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
