MINNEAPOLIS -- Illinois baseball (15-12, 6-1) captured its sixth-straight win with an 11-2 victory over Minnesota (11-13, 1-3) on Friday at Siebert Field.
For the sixth-consecutive game, the Illini offense scored double-digit runs, backed by four-RBI performances from Brody Harding and Drake Westcott. Harding went 3-for-3 with two runs, a home run and two walks, while Westcott went 1-for-5 with a run. All nine starters collected a hit in the ballgame and six had multi-hit efforts.
Payton Hutchings picked up the win out of the bullpen, tossing 3.2 shutout frames to go along with two strikeouts. The lefty also held the Golden Gophers to just two hits. Julius Sanchez, making his season debut, worked a 1-2-3 ninth to close the game, tallying one strikeout.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Illinois plated three runs its first time up to bat, with Westcott bringing home two on a single and Ryan Moerman also picking up an RBI on an infield-single. A RBI-double from Coltin Quagliano in the second made it 4-0, but the Gophers would get on the board in the bottom half of the frame on a solo home run.
The Illini broke the game open in the third on Harding's grand slam, the second-straight game the Orange and Blue have hit a round-tripper with the bases loaded. Westcott would make it 9-1 in the fifth on an RBI-groundout for his third RBI of the contest.
The Golden Gophers threatened to get back into ballgame in their half of fifth, loading the bases with just one out. Hutchings emerged from the bullpen and allowed just one run to come across, retiring both batters he faced. The Coal City, Ill., native, then tossed 3.0 shutout innings to maintain the Illini's big lead.
Illinois would then push two more runs across over the remainder of the game and would go on to cruise to the 11-2 win.
UP NEXT
The Illini return to action tomorrow with a doubleheader against the Golden Gophers. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Brody Harding went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a home run, four RBI and two walks.
    » Reached safely in all five plate appearances.
    » Has homered three times in his last three games.
        » Has five home runs this season...entered 2024 with five-career home runs in 138 career games.
    » Has five hits in his last three games.
» Cal Hejza went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and two walks.
    » Extended his career-long hitting streak to 11 games...is batting .354 (17-for-48) with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBI during that span.
» Jacob Schroeder went 3-for-5 with a run.
    » Extended his career-long hitting streak to nine games.
        » Is batting 16-for-35 (.457) during that span with four doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI.
» Camden Janik went 3-for-6 with a double and a run.
    » Extended his hitting streak to six games...has gone 14-for-28 (.500) during that span with three doubles, a home run and seven RBI.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 1-for-5, a run and was hit by a pitch.
    » Extended his hitting streak to a career-long nine games...has gone 15-for-41 (.366) during that span.
    » Has reached base safely in 13-straight games and in 24 of 25 overall.
» Payton Hutchings earned his third win of the season.
    » 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
    » Season high in innings pitched.
» Julius Sanchez made his first appearance since May 19, 2023.
    » Struck out the first batter he faced.
» Every Illinois starter reached base safely in the win.
» Illinois' highest scoring inning was the third, when it pushed four runs across.
» Illinois took a 3-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» The Fighting Illini had a total of 19 hits.
    » Six batters had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Golden Gophers at a 19-5 clip.
» Illinois pitchers limited Minnesota to just 1-for-8 (.125) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 40 Minnesota hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out four.
» The Fighting Illini drew five walks from Minnesota pitching.
» Illinois extended its season-long winning streak to six games.
    » Longest winning streak since also winning six-straight from April 9-17, 2022.
» The Illini have scored 10+ runs in six-straight games, their longest such streak since doing so in seven-straight games from May 27, 1895, to April 4, 1896.
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