CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --Â Illinois baseball (23-10, 8-2) opened its weekend series vs. Northwestern (12-21, 2-8) with a 5-3 win tonight at Illinois Field.
Jack Crowder improved to 3-1 on the season by tossing his second-straight quality start and his fourth overall of the season. The right-hander went 6.2 innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits, walking two and striking out seven. Ben Plumley and Joe Glassey combined to work the final 2.1 frames, holding the Wildcats scoreless while yielding two hits and striking out two. Glassey earned his fourth save of the season by closing out the contest in the ninth.
Camden Janik went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while Jacob Schroeder went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Connor Milton also chipped in for Illinois, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Northwestern started the ballgame with a single and a home run to take an early 2-0 lead, but Schroeder would cut the lead in half with a solo blast in the second to make it 2-1. Janik would bring the ballgame level with an RBI single in the third.Â
After allowing hits to the first two batters faced, Crowder set down 14-straight Wildcat batters to keep the Illini in the ballgame.
The Orange and Blue pushed three runs across in the fourth and would hold on to the lead for the good. Schroeder put Illinois in front with an RBI-single, Coltin Quagliano brought home a run on a groundout and Milton capped the scoring with an RBI-single of his own.
Northwestern scratched a run across in the fifth to make it 5-3, but Crowder responded with a scoreless sixth to maintain Illinois' advantage.
The Wildcats threatened in the seventh by putting runs on second and third with two outs, but a big strikeout from Plumley ended the rally. The visitors looked poised for a big eighth by loading the bases, but Plumley would induce a flyout to leave them loaded and preserve the lead.
Northwestern would bring the tying run to the plate three times, but Glassey was able to finish the ballgame and give the Illini the 5-3 win.
GAME NOTES
» Camden Janik went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
    » Leads the team with seven three-hit games this season.
    » Upped his average to .368, which is seventh-highest in the Big Ten.
    » Struck out for the first time in 69 at-bats tonight, a streak that lasted 15 games, dating back to March 17.
» Jacob Schroeder went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a home run and two RBI.
    » Has hit safely in 15 of his last 16, going 27-for-56 (.482) during that span with four doubles, eight home runs and 28 RBI.
    » Leads the Big Ten in slugging (.840) and OPS (1.330).
    » Tied for third in the Big Ten in home runs (11)...has homered in consecutive games for the second time this season.
» Connor Milton went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
    » Second multi-hit game of the season.
    » Has an RBI in two of his last three games.
» Coltin Quagliano went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
    » Extended his hitting streak to 13 games...has gone 23-for-48 (.479) with five doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI during that span.
» Jack Crowder picked up his second-straight win and improved to 3-1 on the season in the start.
    » 6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO
    » Second-straight quality start and his fourth overall of the season.
    » Second start this season with at least seven strikeouts...most since nine whiffs on April 16, vs. Akron (G1).
» Ben Plumley tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, striking out one.
    » Has not allowed a run in his last 4.0 innings of work (4 G)...has allowed four hits, struck out three and issued no walks during that span.
» Illinois picked up its fifth-straight victory, its second winning streak of at least five games this season.
» The Illini have won 10-straight Big Ten contests at Illinois Field, dating back to last season.
    » Longest such streak since winning 18-straight from May 2, 2014, to March 26, 2016.
» Illinois improves to 12-1 at Illinois Field this season...have won 10-straight home contests.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Wildcats at a 10-6 clip.
» Illinois went 3-for-10 (.300) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 38 Northwestern hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and nine fly balls while striking out nine.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
