GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Illinois baseball (4-6) split its games at the First Pitch Invitational on Saturday, capturing an 8-6 win over Western Michigan (6-4) in extra innings before falling to Florida State (9-0), 13-7, in the nightcap.
Game 1 - Illinois 8, Western Michigan 6 (10 inn.)
The Fighting Illini prevailed 8-6 in extras against the Broncos, in their opening game of the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field.
Cal Hejza led the way at the plate, going 3-for-6 with a pair of runs scored. Camden Janik, Vytas Valincius and Drake Westcott also had multi-hit performances, with the trio combining for seven RBI.
All nine starters reached safely, drawing a season-high walks.
Logan Tabeling took no-decision in the start, allowing two runs on three hits over 5.0 innings of work, striking out seven. Jake Rons picked up the first win of his Illini career, twirling 2.0 shutout innings to finish the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Illinois jumped all over Western Michigan in the first, putting a four-spot on the board before the Broncos could come to bat. Janik opened the scoring with an RBI-double and Valincius would bring in two more with a double of his own three batters later. Connor Milton capped the scoring with an RBI-single.
Western Michigan would get on the board with two runs in the fourth, but Illinois grabbed one of those runs back in the top of the fifth, on a Janik solo blast to left center, his second home run in as many games, making it 5-2.
The Orange and Blue restored their four-run lead with a Valincius RBI-single in the seventh, but the Broncos also plated a run in the home-half of the frame to make it 6-3.
Western Michigan brought the game level with three runs in the eighth to make it 6-6, but Illinois would be able to force extras, with Rons getting out of a jam in the ninth.
Coltin Quagliano dealt the decisive blow in the 10th, bringing in two runs on a one-out triple. Rons would shut the door in the bottom half to give the Illini the 8-6 win.
GAME NOTES
» Cal Hejza went 3-for-6 with two runs scored.
» Matched his career high with three hits...has two such games this season.
» Has reached safely in eight-straight games...has 10 hits and five walks during that span.
» Camden Janik went 2-for-5 with two runs, a double, a home run and two RBI.
» Has back-to-back multi-hit games...has four extra-base hits (2 2B, 2 HR) and five RBI.
» Has homered in consecutive games for the third time in his career.
» Vytas Valincius went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.
» First multi-RBI game of the season.
» Drake Westcott went 2-for-4 with two runs, a double and two walks.
» Has five runs and five hits in his last two games.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 0-for-2 with two walks and was also hit by a pitch twice.
» Saw his hitting streak end but reached base safely a season-high four times.
» Every Illinois starter reached base safely in the win.
» The Fighting Illini drew nine walks from Western Michigan pitching.
» Logan Tabeling racked up seven strikeouts, giving him 18 in 10.0 innings of work this season.
» The Illinois pitching staff combined to strike out 13 Western Michigan hitters.
» Four Fighting Illini had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Broncos at an 11-9 clip.
» Illinois went 6-for-15 (.400) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers limited Western Michigan to just 1-for-11 (.091) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 44 Western Michigan hitters in the game, allowing seven ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out 13.
» Illinois snapped a six-game losing skid in extra-inning ballgames.
Game 2 - Florida State 13, Illinois 7
Illinois would rally from an early 7-0 deficit, but it was ultimately not enough as they fell 13-7 to Florida State.
Brody Harding went 3-for-4 at the plate, picking up a pair of RBI. Chee-Aloy, Hejza and Quagliano all had two-hit efforts while also combining for two RBI and two walks.
Joe Glassey turned in 1.1 scoreless innings in relief and did not yield a hit.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Seminoles went ahead 7-0, scoring twice in the second and third innings before putting up three in the fourth.
The Illini chipped away, scoring two runs in the home half of the fourth, thanks to an RBI-triple from Chee-Aloy and an RBI-single from Hejza.
Illinois plated three in the fifth, opening the scoring when Jacob Schroeder was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Harding followed two batters later with an RBI-single and Schroeder would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch.
The Orange and Blue brought the game back level in the sixth when Schroeder scored Westcott with a single and Harding tied it up with a two-out RBI-single to bring home Valincius.
Florida State reclaimed the lead in the seventh, scoring four times, and added two more in the ninth to give Illinois the 13-7 defeat.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini close the weekend in Greenville with a non-conference showdown against Michigan State. First pitch from Fluor Field is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Brody Harding went 3-for-5 with two RBI.
» Season-high marks in hits and RBI.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 2-for-5 with a run, triple and a walk.
» First multi-hit game of his career.
» Has reached base safely in all 10 games this season (10 H, 6 BB, 3 HBP).
» Cal Hejza went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a walk.
» Has back-to-back multi-hit performances for the second time this season.
» Has reached base safely in nine-straight games.
» Coltin Quagliano went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
» Has recorded at least one hit in nine of 10 games this season...first two-hit game of the campaign.
» Drake Westcott went 0-for-1 with a run, three walks and was hit by a pitch.
» Has drawn five walks in his last two games...leads the team with 12 walks.
» Leads all Big Ten hitters with 12 walks.
» Has posted a 1.190 OPS through nine games...ranks eighth among Big Ten hitters.
» Every Fighting Illini starter reached base safely in the loss...did so for the second-straight game.
» Four Illinois hitters had multiple base knocks in the ballgame.
» The Fighting Illini drew eight walks from Florida State pitching.
» Illinois pitchers faced 49 Florida State hitters in the game, allowing 13 ground balls and six fly balls while striking out five.
» Chee-Aloy led the Fighting Illini at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a triple and an RBI.
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