SAUGET, Ill. -- Illinois baseball (11-12) took Braggin' Rights back to Champaign with an 11-3 victory over Missouri (10-15) tonight at Grizzlies Ballpark.
Jake Rons, who did not factor in the decision, delivered 4.0 innings of one-run ball and punched out seven batters without issuing a walk in the first start of his Illinois career. Korey Bunselmeyer picked up the win by tossing 2.0 innings and allowing just one run on three hits.
The offense scored double-digit runs for the second-straight contest, paced by a 1-for-4, home run, three-RBI performance from Ryan Moerman. Drake Westcott also went yard, a two-run blast, going 1-for-3 in the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The visiting team in tonight's game, the Fighting Illini plated a run their first time up to bat, with Camden Janik bringing home Cameron Chee-Aloy on a perfectly executed hit-and-run.
The Tigers would level the score in the first with a leadoff homer but Rons promptly retired the next three batters to end the inning and then set down the next six batters he faced.
Illinois got the lead back in the second, with Coltin Quagliano plating a run on an RBI-single and Chee-Aloy beating out a would-be inning-ending double play, allowing a run to score.
The Orange and Blue broke the game open in the third when Moerman launched a no-doubt three-run homer to left to make it 6-1.
Missouri threatened to get back into the contest in the fourth by putting runners on second and third but Rons worked out of the jam to maintain the Illini lead. The Tigers would eventually scratch a run across in the fifth to make it 6-2.
The offense put a three-spot up on the board in the sixth, with Cal Hejza picking up an RBI-single and coming around to score on Westcott's two-run homer, making it 9-2.
The Tigers looked poised to have a big inning when they loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the sixth but Bunselmeyer was able to escape unscathed.
In the seventh, Quagliano collected his second RBI of the game with a double and would come home on Chee-Aloy's single to make it 11-2.
Missouri put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Fighting Illini still coasted to the 11-3 win.
GAME NOTES
» Ryan Moerman went 1-for-4 with a run, home run, three RBI and was hit by a pitch.
    » Has three home runs and eight RBI in his last two games.
    » His seven home runs rank tied for third among Big Ten hitters.
» Drake Westcott went 1-for-3 with two runs, a home run, two RBI and drew two walks.
    » Has homered in consecutive games for the first time this season.
    » His seven home runs rank tied for third among Big Ten hitters.
    » His 25 walks are tied for second most among Big Ten hitters.
    » His 1.082 OPS ranks ninth among Big Ten hitters.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 2-for-5 with two run and two RBI.
    » Has reached base safely in 20 of 21 games this season.
    » Has consecutive multi-hit performances for the first time this season.
    » Has hit safely in five-straight games...is batting .391 (9-for-23) during that span with eight runs scored and four RBI.
» Coltin Quagliano went 2-for-3 with a run, double, two RBI and was hit by pitch.
    » Has consecutive multi-hit games for the second time this season.
    » Leads team with 20 RBI.
» Jake Rons made his first start for Illinois tonight.
    » ND, 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
    » Set season-high marks in innings and strikeouts.
        » Entered tonight with seven total strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
    » Was most innings he worked in a game and most strikeouts since punching out seven over 5.0 frames on May 2, 2023, vs. Southern California, while at Long Beach State.
» Ben Plumley tossed 2.0 scoreless innings in relief and allowed just one hit and struck out three.
    » Has allowed just one earned run in his last 6.0 innings (3 G).
» The Illinois pitching staff combined to strike out 14 Missouri hitters.
» Illinois went 8-for-19 (.421) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers limited Missouri to just 2-for-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 39 Missouri hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out 14.
» The Fighting Illini drew eight walks from Missouri pitching.
» Illinois snapped a brief two-game losing streak to Missouri tonight.
    » Largest margin of victory over the Tigers since winning by 10 on May 4, 1983, in a contest played in Champaign.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
