GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Illini continued their winning ways on Saturday afternoon with their first shutout of the season, a 5-0 victory over Charleston at the First Pitch Invitational, to extend their winning streak to four games.
Regan Hall earned the win with his six shutout innings before Aidan Flinn and Reed Gannon combined for three scoreless frames in relief. Hall allowed five hits while striking out seven, Flinn finished with three strikeouts across two innings, while Gannon recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to close out the victory.
Collin Jennings and AJ Putty drove in two runs apiece, while Michael Farina tallied an RBI single in the eighth to round out the Illini scoring.
Farina and Jennings each registered two-hit days at the plate, while the top five hitters in the lineup – Nick Groves, Farina, Daniel Contreras, Jennings, and Putty – combined for all seven of the Illini's hits on Saturday.
Illinois opened the scoring in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI single from Jennings, while that same 1-0 scoreline remained through the opening three innings of play.
In the top of the fourth, Hall stranded two runners in scoring position, keeping the Cougars off the board and maintaining the Orange and Blue's one-run edge.
The Illini ultimately doubled their lead on Jennings' base hit in the sixth before adding three runs in the eighth. Farina scored Groves on a double before Putty singled up the middle to bring home Jennings and Farina.
Gannon's 1-2-3 inning in the ninth, which came after Flinn's two scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth, closed out the Illini triumph.
GAME NOTES
- Nick Groves went 1-for-4 and scored a run.
- Extended his on-base streak to 22 games.
- Has a hit in four straight games.
- Has a hit in eight of his nine appearances this season.
- Has scored a run in four consecutive games.
- Has scored a run in eight of his nine appearances this season.
- Michael Farina finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
- Has reached base in each of his first 10 games as an Illini.
- Has a hit in four straight games.
- Has multiple hits in three of his last four outings and in five games overall.
- Has an RBI in three straight games.
- Has an extra-base hit in three consecutive outings.
- Daniel Contreras went 1-for-4 and scored a run.
- Has a hit in eight of the last nine games.
- Has reached base successfully in nine straight games.
- Collin Jennings went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run.
- Recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
- Has a hit in each of the last eight games.
- Tallied multiple RBI for the second time this season.
- AJ Putty went 1-for-4 with two RBI.
- Registered multiple RBI for the sixth time this season.
- Has a hit in four straight games.
- Has reached base safely in nine consecutive games.
- Regan Hall earned the win with six shutout innings.
- Moved to 2-0 this season and 12-5 across his 33 career appearances and 17 career starts.
- Secured a season-high seven strikeouts.
- Recorded his second quality start of the season.
- Aidan Flinn finished with three strikeouts across two innings.
- Has 3+ strikeouts in back-to-back appearances.
- Posted his second two-inning relief outing of the season.
- Reed Gannon finished the game with a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth.
- Made his fourth appearance of the season.
- Tallied his second scoreless outing of the campaign.
- Illinois recorded its first shutout of the season.
- Was the Illini's first shutout since April 6, 2025, when Illinois defeated Maryland, 11-0.
- The Illini extended their season-long winning streak to four games.
- Is the team's longest winning streak since a four-game stretch from April 20-26, 2025.
UP NEXT
Illinois closes its run at the First Pitch Invitational against UAlbany on Sunday morning. First pitch between the Fighting Illini and the Great Danes from the Greenville Drive's Fluor Field is slated for 9 a.m. CT.
