CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Fighting Illini baseball (21-22, 10-10) clinched a series victory over Michigan State (28-15, 10-9) with a 14-7 victory on Saturday at Illinois Field.
Illinois again started quick offensively when Drake Westcott launched a two-run shot to center to give the Illini an early 2-0 lead.
The Spartans hit back with three runs in the second to take a 3-2 lead, but the Illini grabbed the lead back for good in the third when Westcott crushed a two-run shot to left, his second of the game, to make it a 4-3 contest.
Illinois broke the game wide open in fourth, scoring six times in the frame. Cam McDonald brought home Cal Hejza with a sacrifice fly and Westcott picked up his fifth RBI of the game with a single. Ryan Moerman would draw a walk to load the bases with two outs and Camden Janik would slug a grand slam to left-center, making it a 10-3 game.
The Orange and Blue continued to pour it on, with Hejza hitting a solo home run in the fifth to make it 11-3, the fourth home run of the game by the Illini.
Michigan State grabbed two runs back in the sixth, but the Illini scored three more times in the seventh. Branden Comia laced an RBI-single to center and Westcott followed two batters later with a towering two-run shot to center for this third dinger of the game, bringing his RBI total to seven.
The Spartans scored twice in the eighth, but Logan Tabeling tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in relief to give the Illini the 14-7 win.
The Fighting Illini will be back in action in tomorrow's series finale, with first pitch from Illinois Field scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Drake Westcott went 4-for-5 with four runs, three home runs and seven RBI.
    » First Illini to have a three-home run game this season...first Illini batter to do so since Bren Spillane on March 17, 2018.
    » Set career-high marks in hits, home runs and RBI.
    » Second Illini batter this season to record seven RBI in a single game.
    » Extended his hitting streak to five games...is batting .478 (11-for-23) during that span with four home runs and 11 RBI.
» Camden Janik went 3-for-4 with a run, double, home run, four RBI and a walk.
    » Is second Illini batter to hit a grand slam this season.
    » Season-high four RBI.
» Logan Tabeling turned in 1.2 scoreless innings in relief, picking up one strikeout.
    » Has not allowed a run in his last four appearances, totaling 4.2 innings pitched...has just two hits during that span.
» Ryan Moerman went 1-for-4 with a run and a double.
» The Fighting Illini had both Westcott and Janik smack multiple extra-base hits in the ballgame.
» Westcott and Janik drove in at least four runs for Illinois.
» Five Fighting Illini had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» Illinois hitters hit a season-high five dingers in the ballgame.
    » Have hit at least three home runs in three-straight games.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Spartans at a 14-10 clip.
» Illinois went 4-for-11 (.364) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 45 Michigan State hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out six.
» The Fighting Illini drew five walks from Michigan State pitching.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
