COLUMBUS, Ohio --Â Illinois baseball (29-23, 14-16) closed the regular season with an 11-10 defeat, in extra innings, to Ohio State (13-37, 5-25), today at Bill Davis Stadium.
Jacob Schroeder led the way at the plate going 3-for-5Â with two runs scored, two home runs and four RBI. Collin Jennings (1-for-4) and Coltin Quagliano (1-for-4) also homered in the contest.
Reed Gannon worked 3.1 scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and striking out two.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buckeyes got on the board with a pair of solo shots in the second but the Illini responded with six runs in the third to take a 6-2 lead. Schroeder crushed a two-run shot and Jennings slugged a towering three-run blast three batters later. Kyle Schupmann capped the scoring with a two-out RBI-single.
The hosts scored three times in the bottom of the third to cut the Orange and Blue's lead to one before Quagliano took the first pitch of the fourth over the wall in left center to make it 7-5.
Ohio State pushed a run across in the home half of the fourth but Illinois responded again with Schupmann recording his second little-league home run of the series to make it 9-6.
After the Buckeyes made it 9-8 in the fifth with two, Gannon entered the game out of the bullpen and retired the first 10 batters he faced before allowing a hit in the eighth but Ohio State was kept off the board when Schroeder cut down a baserunner at second.
The Illini were unable to add any insurance in the ninth and Ohio State was able to tie the ballgame with a sacrifice fly to send the contest to extras.
Schroeder started the 10th with a solo shot to put Illinois back in front but the Buckeyes would score twice in the bottom of the inning to hand the visitors the walk-off defeat.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini, who clinched a berth in The Big Ten Baseball Tournament Presented by IFS.ai last night, await their official seeding in the tournament. Play begins at Charles Schwab Field Omaha on Tuesday at 10 a.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Jacob Schroeder went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two home runs and four RBI.
    » First multi-HR game of the season.
        » Now has 38 homers in his Illini career, tied for sixth-most all-time in program history.
    » First three-hit game of the season.
» Reed Gannon worked his longest scoreless outing of the season.
    » 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 SO.
    » Did not allow a run over 4.1 innings (2 G) of work at Ohio State.
» Every Fighting Illini starter reached base safely in the loss.
» Illinois went 3-for-8 (.375) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 48 Ohio State hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and six fly balls while striking out 11.
» The Fighting Illini drew six walks from Ohio State pitching.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
