UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Fighting Illini evened their series at Penn State with a 16-5 run-rule road victory over the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
The Orange and Blue offense scored 16 runs, their most in conference play this season, while Regan Hall earned his second straight win on the mound.
Kyle Schupmann led the way at the plate, going 3-for-4 with his first home run of the year to go alongside four RBI and three runs scored. Collin Jennings hit a grand slam in the fourth, which highlighted his 2-for-4 day with three runs. Will Johannes went 2-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI.
Regan Hall went five innings while striking out a season-high eight batters, while Olivier Martel tossed two scoreless innings in relief.
The Illini offense struck right away with four runs in the top half of the first. AJ Putty and Schupmann each drove in a run on their RBI singles before Johannes lengthened the Illini lead with his two-run double.
After the visitors added a run in the second, the Nittany Lions answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame, trimming the Illini advantage to three.
With Illinois ahead 6-2 in the top of the fourth and the bases loaded, Jennings sent his team-leading seventh home run of the season off the batter's eye in center, with his grand slam breaking the game open, 10-2. Schupmann, the next Illini hitter to the plate, followed it up with his first homer of the season one pitch later.
A three-run home run from the hosts in the bottom of the fifth cut into the Illinois advantage, but the Orange and Blue responded right away with a five-run sixth. Two-run doubles from Johannes and Schupmann pushed the Illini lead to double digits before Brayden Mazzacano wrapped up the scoring with an RBI single.
After Hall went five innings, Martel tossed two scoreless innings in relief, finishing off Illinois' run-rule victory on the mound.
GAME NOTES
- Nick Groves went 1-for-4 while also reaching on a walk.
- Extended his on-base streak to 37 games.
- Now tied for the fifth-longest reached base streak by an Illini since 2004.
- Has a hit in three straight games and in five of the last six.
- Has drawn a walk in three consecutive appearances.
- Has scored a run in six of the last seven games.
- Michael Farina went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk.
- Scored multiple runs for the seventh time.
- Has drawn a walk in three consecutive appearances.
- Jack Zebig registered an RBI, a walk, and two runs scored.
- Tied his season-high with two runs.
- Has scored multiple times in two games this season.
- Has an RBI in seven of the last eight games.
- Has drawn a walk in four straight outings and in six of the last seven.
- AJ Putty went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a walk, and two runs.
- Now has a team-high 33 RBI this season.
- Scored multiple runs for the fourth time.
- Collin Jennings went 2-for-4 with a grand slam, four RBI, and three runs scored.
- Has a hit in 10 of the last 11 games.
- Tied his season-high with four RBI.
- Has four RBI in back-to-back games.
- Drove in multiple runs for the seventh time.
- Hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season.
- Was the second grand slam of his career.
- Was the Illini's third grand slam of the year.
- Equaled his season-high with three runs scored.
- Scored multiple runs for the seventh time this season.
- Kyle Schupmann posted a 3-for-4 day at the plate with four RBI and three runs.
- Tied his career-high with three hits.
- Has multiple hits in six games this season.
- Has a hit in seven consecutive contests.
- Set a new season-high with his four RBI.
- Drove in multiple runs for the second time.
- Scored multiple runs for the seventh time.
- Hit his first home run of the season.
- Will Johannes went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored.
- Tied his Illini career-high with two hits.
- Has multiple hits in seven games this season.
- Tied his Illini career-high with four RBI.
- Set a new season-high.
- Drove in multiple runs for the seventh time.
- Recorded a career-high two doubles.
- Now has four doubles this season.
- Brayden Mazzacano went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
- Logged his sixth RBI of the season.
- Collected the fourth hit of his career.
- J.R. Nelson reached on two walks and scored two runs.
- Drew multiple walks for the fourth time this season.
- Scored multiple runs for the fourth time.
- Regan Hall recorded the win, going five innings and tallying eight strikeouts.
- Picked up his team-leading fourth win of the season.
- Has gone at least five innings in all seven starts this season.
- Set a new season-high with eight strikeouts.
- Olivier Martel tossed two scoreless innings in relief.
- Went multiple innings for the second time this season.
- The Illini tallied their first run-rule victory of the year.
- Was the team's first run-rule win since April 22, 2025, at Indiana State.
- Was the team's first run-rule Big Ten win since April 13, 2025, vs. Indiana.
- Illinois' 16 runs are its most in a conference game this season.
- Marked the team's most in a Big Ten game since May 16, 2025, at Ohio State (18).
UP NEXT
Illinois (13-12, 5-6 B1G) will take on Penn State for the series finale on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT. The action from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in University Park, Pa., will stream on B1G+.
