BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Illinois baseball (10-12) captured a series win over Indiana (12-12) with an emphatic 15-8 win at Bart Kaufman Field.
The Illini offense erupted for season-high marks in runs, hits and extra-base hits, led by a 2-for-4, three run, two home run and five RBI performance from Ryan Moerman. Drake Westcott also went yard and drove in four runs and seven of the nine Illinois starters had multiple hits in the ballgame.
Jake Swartz picked up his first win of the season by blanking the Hoosiers over 5.0 innings of work, allowing just three hits and striking out four.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Fighting Illini jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on the first, with Camden Janik tallying an RBI-single and Westcott blasting a three-run home run to right.
The Orange and Blue broke the game wide open with an eight-spot in the third, their second eight-run inning of the series, making it 12-0. Moerman launched a three-run blast and Cal Hejza picked up an RBI-double two batters later. Cameron Chee-Aloy drove in Hejza with a single and Janik collected his second RBI of the contest with a single two batters later. Chee-Aloy would come around to score on a wild pitch and Westcott would post RBI No. 3 and No. 4 with a two-run single.
Swartz shut down the Hoosiers following both of Illinois' scoring frames and would keep Indiana from doing any damage in the game. The sophomore allowed just one baserunner in each of his 5.0 innings of work and did not allow any baserunner to reach scoring position.
The Hoosiers eventually scratched a run across in the sixth but the Illini got the run back in the seventh when Moerman was hit by a pitch.
Indiana scored twice in the home half of the seventh to make it 13-3, but Janik picked up his second RBI of the game with a single in the eighth, making it 14-3.
The hosts put together a five-run frame to make it 14-8 but Illinois grabbed one of those runs back when Moerman crushed a no-doubter to left to make 15-8. Joe Glassey finished the game on the mound to give the Illini their first series win in Bloomington since 2008.
GAME NOTES
» Camden Janik went 4-for-6 with two runs, a double and two RBI.
» First Illini with a four-hit game this season...leads the Illini with nine multi-hit games this season.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 3-for-7 with three runs and an RBI.
» First-career three-hit game.
» Has reached base safely in 19 of 20 games this season...has hit safely in four-straight.
» Ryan Moerman went 2-for-4 with three runs, two home runs and five RBI.
» First game with multiple home runs this season...had one such game in 2023.
» Five RBI matches a career-high mark.
» Drake Westcott went 2-for-2 with two runs, a home run, four RBI and four walks.
» His four walks set a career high.
» Jake Swartz picked up his first win of the season.
» 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
» First start this season working at least five innings and not allowing a run.
» Every Illinois starter reached base safely in the win.
» All nine starters recorded hits and seven recorded multiple hits...eight starters scored at least one run.
» Six starters drew a walk.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Hoosiers at a 20-10 clip.
» Illinois went 6-for-18 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 45 Indiana hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out seven.
» The Fighting Illini drew nine walks from Indiana pitching.
» Illinois picked up their first series win in Bloomington since 2008.
» Most runs scored against Indiana since scoring 18 on April 30, 2022...today was also most runs scored in a Big Ten contest since that game.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
