CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois baseball (9-6) opened its series vs. Valparaiso (3-10) with a 13-9 victory today at Illinois Field.
Vytas Valincius went 3-for-4 with a run, double and four RBI and Nick Groves also put together a three-hit performance, going 3-for-4 with three runs, a double and an RBI. Kyle Schupmann and Drake Westcott each homered in the contest, with seven different Illini tallying an RBI.
Sam Reed got the win out of the bullpen for the Orange and Blue, working 2.2 innings, yielding five runs on five hits to go along with three strikeouts. Luke Weber picked up his first-career save, tossing 2.1 shutout innings while allowing one hit, walking none and whiffing two.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Illinois jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one, starting with a Grant Ross RBI-single and a Valincius RBI-groundout. Schupmann put the exclamation point on the frame with a two-out, two-run blast to dead center, his second home run of the season.
Valparaiso scratched a run across the board in the second and in the fourth to cut the Illini's lead in half at 4-2.
The Beacons then scored five runs in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead but the Fighting Illini used another big inning at home to storm past and retake the lead. Jack Zebig bounced out with the bases loaded to bring home a run and Valincius followed with a two-run double into the right center gap to tie the ballgame at 7-7. Collin Jennings singled up the middle with two outs to score Valincius and Westcott followed with a two-run shot to left center, his third long ball of the year, to make it 10-7.
Valpo would not go away quietly, scoring twice in the sixth to make it a 10-9 contest. Illinois got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning on a Valincius sacrifice fly.
Weber would take over for Reed on the mound in the seventh and escape a runners-on-the-corners jam to keep the Illini lead at three. Illinois added two more runs in the home half of the frame to go up 13-9.
Weber retired the side in order in the eighth and the ninth to give the home team its third-straight victory as the Orange and Blue took the series opener.
UP NEXT
Due to forecasted cold weather on Sunday, the Fighting Illini will play a doubleheader vs. Valparaiso tomorrow at Illinois Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Vytas Valincius went 3-for-4 with a run, double and four RBI.
    » Third three-hit game of the season.
        » Has hit safely in 13 of 14 games this season.
    » Collected a season-high four RBI in the contest.
        » Has driven in at least one run in 11 of 14 ballgames.
    » Has reached base safely in 14-straight games.
» Nick Groves went 3-for-4 with three runs, a double, RBI and a walk.
    » Second three-hit game of the season.
    » Has scored six runs in his last three games.
» Kyle Schupmann hit his second home run of the season.
» Drake Westcott hit his third home run of the season and the 37th of his Illinois career.
    » Is 11 home runs away from matching Scott Spiezio's program record.
» Luke Weber earned the first save of his career.
    » 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
    » Retired the final seven batters that he faced.
» Every Illinois starter reached base safely in the win.
» Illinois went 5-for-13 (.385) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 44 Valparaiso hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out eight.
» The Fighting Illini drew eight walks from Valparaiso pitching.
» Valincius led the Fighting Illini at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI.
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