COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Illinois baseball (25-16, 11-4) dropped its series finale to Maryland (27-17, 7-10), 11-7, today at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium.
Vytas Valincius led the way at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run, double, home run and five RBI. Connor Milton also went yard in the contest, going 1-for-3 with two runs, a home run, an RBI and a walk. Cal Hejza reached base safely four times, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two walks.
Will Lavin tossed 2.1 scoreless frames in relief, picking up two strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Maryland plated two runs their first time to the plate but Illinois got one of those runs back in the second when Coltin Quagliano singled home Ryan Moerman.
The Terrapins responded with another run in the second and then pushed four across in the third to take a 7-1 lead.
The Illini began chipping away at the deficit in the fourth, when Valincius led off the inning with a solo blast to left center. The Orange and Blue scored two more in the fifth, with Milton launching a solo round-tripper over the batter's eye and Valincius bringing home another run with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-4.
Maryland scraped a run across in the seventh but Valincius would come up clutch in the eighth, clearing the bases with a two-out, three-run double to make it 8-7.
But the Terrapins scored three times in the bottom half of that frame to make it 11-7 and the Illini were unable to mount a late rally in the ninth, ultimately falling.
GAME NOTES
» Vytas Valincius went 2-for-4 with a run, double, home run and five RBI.
    » Has homered in consecutive contests for the first time this season.
    » Has two games of at least five RBI in his last four...has a total of 13 RBI during that span.
    » Has three two-hit games in his last five.
» Connor Milton went 1-for-3 with two runs, a home run, RBI and a walk.
    » Has hit safely in seven of his last nine games...has reached base safely in seven straight.
» Coltin Quagliano went 1-for-5 with an RBI.
    » Extended his career-best hitting streak to 19 games...has gone 34-for-74 (.459) with six doubles, five home runs and 26 RBI during that span.
» Cal Hejza went 2-for-3 with two runs and two walks.
    » Has reached base safely in 25-straight games.
» Camden Janik went 2-for-4 with a run and a walk.
    » Extended his hitting streak to seven games...has gone 14-for-29 (.483) during that span with two doubles, a home run and 11 RBI.
» Illinois left 10 runners stranded on base in the loss.
    » Left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth inning.
» Illinois pitchers faced 40 Maryland hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out three.
» The Fighting Illini drew six walks from Maryland pitching.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
