Illinois sophomore starting pitcher Tanner Roark had a career day on the mound and Illini senior outfielder Ryan Snowden tied the Illinois hit streak record as the Illinois baseball team took game one of a four-game series against Northwestern 6-2 on Friday.

The Illini right-hander pitched a career-long seven innings and struck out a career-high nine batters to earn his third win of the season and push Illinois over .500 in the Big Ten conference at 4-3.

Roark allowed just two runs on eight hits on the mound and was backed by freshman outfielder Nick Stockwell’s 4-for-4 day at the plate as Illinois jumped back in the win column after losing its last two contests.

Six Illini tallied hits in the game, including Snowden, whose single in the seventh inning tied the school’s record for the longest hitting streak at 23 games.

Senior relief pitcher Jake Toohey also collected his third save of the season for the Illini after entering the game in the eighth inning with one out.

The Illini and Wildcats will go at it again tomorrow at Rocky Miller Park in Evanston, Ill., playing a doubleheader starting a 1 p.m.