Illini baseball can’t overcome big innings in wooden bat game

By Jason Grodsky

The Illinois baseball team was done in by two big innings in Tuesday night’s wooden bat game against Missouri.

The No. 17th-ranked Tigers scored four runs in both the second and forth innings off Illinois sophomore relievers Aaron Martin and Ben Reeser to end the Illini’s four-game winning streak with a 12-5 victory.

After an excellent showing on the mound by the Illini pitching staff over the weekend against the Hoosiers – giving up five earned runs in 32 innings – the Illini hurlers did a complete 180-degree turn.

Illinois’ six pitchers combined to give up 12 earned runs on eight hits and gave up three home runs. The Illini pitchers also walked a season high 10 batters and hit three others in the contest.