CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois opened its three-week homestand with a 7-3 win over Indiana State on Tuesday night at Illinois Field.
The Fighting Illini bullpen held the Sycamores to only one run over the final seven innings as the Orange and Blue improved to 16-15 this season.
After Richie LaCien got the start, going two innings with two strikeouts and one earned run, Ike Young came in and dominated in the longest outing of his career. Facing only 11 batters in his 3.1 innings of work, Young allowed only one hit while amassing a career-high five strikeouts.
Luke Weber entered in the sixth and went 2.1 shutout innings with only two hits allowed and two strikeouts. After Tore Indomenico tossed 0.1 inning, Liam McKillop closed the door in the ninth with a scoreless frame.
Daniel Contreras and Collin Jennings each posted three RBI in the win. Contreras went 2-for-4, while Jennings hit his eighth home run of the season in the second.
After the Sycamores scored the game's first two runs, the Illini tallied four times in the bottom of the second inning. Contreras' RBI single got the Orange and Blue on the board before Jennings cleared the bases with a three-run homer.
Contreras extended the hosts' advantage with a two-run single in the third before the game went scoreless over the next three innings. In the bottom of the seventh, the Illini drew four walks, with AJ Putty's bases-loaded base on balls scoring the team's seventh run of the game.
Indiana State rounded out the scoring with one in the top half of the ninth.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Nick Groves' 42-game on-base streak came to an end on Tuesday.
- His 42-game stretch ranks as the fourth-longest by an Illini since at least 2004.
- Cameron Chee-Aloy reached on a walk in the seventh inning.
- Has reached base in four consecutive games.
- Jack Zebig got on base twice on two walks.
- Has reached base in 12 of the last 13 games.
- Tied his season-high with two walks.
- Has multiple walks in four games this season.
- AJ Putty drew three walks and scored two runs.
- Set a new career-high with his three walks.
- Had multiple walks for the second time this season.
- Scored multiple runs for the fifth time.
- Kyle Schupmann posted a 1-for-4 day at the plate.
- Now has a hit in 13 consecutive contests.
- Daniel Contreras collected a 2-for-4 day with three RBI.
- Tallied his seventh multi-hit game of the season.
- Has two hits in three straight games.
- Set a new season-high with three RBI.
- Had multiple RBI for the second time this season.
- Has 2+ RBI in back-to-back games.
- Collin Jennings went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run.
- Hit his team-leading eighth homer of the season.
- Had multiple RBI for the eighth time.
- J.R. Nelson went 1-for-2 and reached on a walk.
- Has reached safely in 16 of the last 17 games.
- Has drawn a walk in five consecutive appearances.
- Richie LaCien got the start and went two innings with two strikeouts.
- Tied for his longest outing of the season.
- Went 2+ innings for the third time.
- Tied his season-high in strikeouts.
- Has multiple strikeouts in back-to-back appearances.
- Ike Young earned the win, firing 3.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
- Posted the first victory of his collegiate career.
- Marked the longest outing of his career.
- Went 2+ innings for the fourth time.
- Set a new career-high with five strikeouts.
- Has multiple strikeouts for the fifth time.
- Luke Weber logged 2.1 shutout innings with two strikeouts.
- Was his third scoreless appearance of the season.
- Went multiple innings for the second time this season.
- Tallied multiple strikeouts for the second time.
- Liam McKillop registered one scoreless inning of work.
- Was his sixth shutout outing of the season.
UP NEXT
Illinois (16-15, 7-8 B1G) hosts a nonconference series this weekend against New Orleans, starting on Friday night at 6 p.m. CT. All three contests against the Privateers at Illinois Field feature free admission and will stream on B1G+.
