LAS VEGASÂ -- Illinois baseball (6-4) dropped its contest today to No. 15 Texas (9-1), 15-6, in the finale of the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic.
Nick Groves went 2-for-3 at the dish, posting the only multi-hit game for the Illini. Collin Jennings went 1-for-3 with a run, home run and three RBI, his home run the first of his collegiate career.
Julius Sanchez took no decision in his start, allowing five runs over 4.0 innings to go along with four strikeouts. Zach Bates worked his second-consecutive scoreless relief outing in the ninth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Illinois and Texas both traded runs in the first inning and then were both kept off the board in the second and third.
In the fourth, Jack Zebig scored on a wild pitch and Drake Westcott followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 Illini. A Longhorn error would extend the inning for Jennings, who launched a three-run blast to right to give Illinois the 6-1 lead.
Texas would hit back four runs in the bottom half of the frame to make it 6-5 and then would go on to score nine in the fifth to make it 14-6. They would score one more in the ninth and hand Illinois the 15-6 defeat.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini return to Illinois Field on Tuesday, where they host in-state foe Eastern Illinois. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Nick Groves went 2-for-3.
    » Posted his fifth multi-hit effort of the season.
» Collin Jennings went 1-for-3 with a run, home run and three RBI.
    » His three-run home run in the fourth was the first of his career.
» Jack Zebig went 1-for-3 with a run and a walk.
    » Extended his hitting streak to a season-high five games.
» Zach Bates retired all three of the batters he faced in the ninth inning.
    » Has three strikeouts compared to no walks through two relief appearances.
» Illinois pitchers faced 48 Texas hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out seven.
» Jennings led the Fighting Illini at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
