Illini Even Series with Ohio State in 10-5 Victory

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois baseball (27-16, 12-5) evened its series with Ohio State (23-21, 8-9) with a 10-5 victory today at Illinois Field.

Jacob Schroeder (1 HR, 3 RBI) and Connor Milton (1 HR, 2 RBI) provided the power on offense, with Brody Harding (3 H, 2 RBI) and Vytas Valincius (1 H, 2 RBI) also turning in multi-RBI efforts at the plate. All nine Illini starters reached safely during the contest.

Payton Hutchings got the win out of the bullpen for the Orange and Blue. The left-hander went 1.1 innings, giving up one run on three hits and striking out two. Cooper Omans started the ballgame and went 4.1 innings, yielding just one run on two hits, tallying six punchouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Illinois took the lead its first trip to the plate when Valincius brought home Cal Hejza on an RBI-groundout. 

The Illini extended that lead in the third, starting with an RBI-single off that bat of Valincius and capped by a two-out, two-run single from Brody Harding to make it 4-0.

Illinois made it 5-0 in the fourth when Hejza singled home Milton, who led off the inning with a double. On the mound, Omans faced the minimum through the first four frames, allowing the Illini to build their advantage. 

Ohio State got a run on the board in the fifth and added three more in the sixth to make it 5-4.

Milton gave Illinois some breathing room with a two-run homer in the seventh, but the Buckeyes got one of those runs back in the eighth to make it 7-5.

In the home half of the eighth, Schroeder launched a three-run blast to left to put the game out of reach as the Illini would go on to win 10-5.

UP NEXT

The Fighting Illini are set to take on Ohio State in a rubber match tomorrow. First pitch from Illinois Field is set for 1 p.m. CT.

GAME NOTES
» Brody Harding went 3-for-4 with a run, two RBI and a walk.
    » Has hit safely in 11 of his last 13...has seven multi-hit games during that span.
» Camden Janik went 2-for-3 with a run and a walk.
    » Extended his hitting streak to 10 games...has gone 19-for-39 (.487) during that span with two doubles, a home run and 12 RBI.
» Connor Milton went 2-for-4 with two runs, a double, home run and two RBI.
    » Has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games...has reached base safely in nine straight.
» Cal Hejza went 1-for-3 with a run, RBI and walk.
    » Has reached base safely in 28-straight games.
» Vytas Valincius went 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
    » Extended his hitting streak to five games.
    » Has 18 RBI in his last seven games...has driven in runs in five straight and in six of last seven overall.
» Jacob Schroeder went 1-for-4 with a run, home run, three RBI and a walk.
    » Was his 13th home run of the season...ranks tied for third in the Big Ten.
» Cooper Omans made the start and did not factor into the decision.
    » 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, HR
    » Fourth start this season with at least six strikeouts.
» Joe Glassey tossed the final 2.0 innings of the game, retiring all six batters that he faced.
» The Illini hit two home runs today, bringing their season total to 86, just five shy of matching the single-season program record set in 1998.
» Every Illinois starter reached base safely in the win.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Buckeyes at an 11-7 clip.
» Illinois went 5-for-15 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 39 Ohio State hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Fighting Illini drew eight walks from Ohio State pitching.

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