CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois baseball (19-13) secured its fifth-straight series win with a victory over Northern Illinois (11-23), 16-5, today at Illinois Field.
Ryan Moerman powered the Illini at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs, two home runs and five RBI. Brody Harding also went deep, going 2-for-4 with a run, home run, RBI and walk. Connor Milton put an exclamation point on the ballgame with a solo blast in the eighth for his first-career home run.
Cooper Omans got the start on the mound and picked up the win to improve to 3-1 on the season. The southpaw went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on six hits, allowing two walks and striking out seven. Jake Rons, Korey Bunselmeyer and Will Lavin combined to just one run, unearned, on just one hit, to go along with two strikeouts, over the final 3.1 frames.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Illinois jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI-double from Cal Hejza and an RBI-single from Drake Westcott. Northern Illinois would score two runs in second to bring the game back level.
For the second-straight game, the Illini broke the game wide open with a seven-spot in their half of the second. Harding led off the inning with a solo shot to center, with Camden Janik bringing in another run on a single. Vytas Valincius collected an RBI on a bases-loaded walk and Moerman capped the scoring with a grand slam to left center.
The Huskies put two more on the board in the third to make it 9-4 but Illinois would get those right back through an RBI-groundout from Westcott and Hejza scoring on a wild pitch.
The Orange and Blue pushed two more across in the fourth when Moerman launched a solo shot to left, his second round-tripper of the game, and Cameron Chee-Aloy drove in a run on a single.
The Illini scored once in the sixth, to make it 14-4, and once in seventh, a bases-loaded walk drawn by Asher Bradd.
Milton put the finishing touches on the contest with his first-career home run in the eighth as Illinois would coast to the 16-5 win.
GAME NOTES
» Ryan Moerman went 3-for-4 with three runs, two home runs and five RBI.
    » Leads the Big Ten with 11 home runs on the season.
    » Second game this season with multiple home runs...sixth such game by an Illini batter this season.
    » First grand slam of the season...third overall by an Illini batter.
    » Third game this season with five RBI.
    » Has back-to-back three-hit games...has raised his average from .198 to .238 in the last two games.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 2-for-2 with three runs, an RBI and two walks.
    » Extended his career-long hitting streak 14 games...has gone 24-for-61 (.393) during that span...longest streak by an Illini this season.
    » Has reached base safely in 18-straight games and in 29 of 30 overall.
» Cal Hejza went 2-for-4 with three runs, a double, an RBI and was hit by a pitch.
    » Has back-to-back two-hit games.
» Drake Westcott went 2-for-5 with a run, two RBI and a walk.
    » Extended his on-base streak to 25 games, the longest active streak on the team.
    » Has at least one RBI in three-straight games.
» Brody Harding went 2-for-4 with a run, home run, RBI and a walk.
    » Has hit a career-high six home runs this season...entered the year with five total in first 138 games of his career.
» Connor Milton went 1-for-2 with a run, home run and RBI.
    » First-career home run...10th different Illini to homer this season.
» Korey Bunselmeyer tossed a perfect eighth inning, needing just seven pitches to retire the side.
    » Has not allowed an earned run in his last 5.2 innings of work (4 G).
» Will Lavin worked a one-two-three ninth, striking out two batters.
    » Has not allowed an earned run in his last 4.0 innings of work (4 G).
» The Illini offense scored 10+ runs for the 12th time this season.
» Illinois has won 10 of its last 11 games.
» Every Illinois starter reached base safely in the win.
» Five Fighting Illini had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Huskies at a 16-7 clip.
» Illinois pitchers limited Northern Illinois to just 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 37 Northern Illinois hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 13 fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Fighting Illini drew eight walks from Northern Illinois pitching.
» Today's attendance of 2,261 was a season-high mark and the most since drawing 3,089 on May 13, 2022, vs. Nebraska.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
