It took a little while for the bats to warm up in Sauget, Illinois, but timely hitting proved to be the deciding factor in Illinois’ one-game tilt with Missouri on Tuesday night.

Playing in its fourth game in four days, the No. 25 Illinois baseball team (20-6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) edged out a 4-3 victory over Missouri (20-10, 6-3 SEC) at GCS Ballpark.

Starting pitcher Rob McDonnell and Missouri’s John Miles had dueling no-hitters going through three innings, but once each team’s hitters got going, they did not relent.

The two teams combined for 17 hits, but the biggest of all came in the sixth inning. With two outs and a runner on second, first baseman David Kerian belted a home run over the right field wall to give Illinois a 4-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I didn’t know at the time that it would be such an important hit, but it ended up being the go-ahead run,” Kerian said. “It’s always nice to be able to put the team up in front, no matter what the situation is.”

The long ball was Kerian’s team-leading seventh of the year.

In such a close game, the deciding hit came so early because of the performance of Illinois’ bullpen.

Junior reliever Nick Blackburn pitched out of jams in both the sixth and seventh innings to preserve the narrow Illini lead.

Senior closer Tyler Jay followed suit with a clutch strikeout with two outs and a runner 90 feet from home plate in the bottom of the eighth and closed out the game by striking out the side in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.

“They came out today like any bullpen should, with a clear mind, and they executed their pitches when they needed to,” catcher Jason Goldstein said.

Following the quiet first three innings, Illinois broke the stalemate with an RBI single from Goldstein to drive in second baseman Reid Roper in the fourth inning. Illinois went up 2-0 in the fifth with an RBI hit from left fielder Ryan Nagle.

The Tigers didn’t figure out Illinois starting pitcher Rob McDonnell until the bottom of the fifth, during which they collected their first five hits of the game, giving them a 3-2 advantage. Missouri left two runners on to end the inning and would not score again.

In his seventh start of the season, McDonnell was stellar through four innings, but seemed to lose his command in the fifth inning. In just the fifth and sixth innings, the senior allowed three runs on six hits, two wild pitches and a walk. He left the game with 98 pitches and six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

All season, Hartleb has found mid-week games to be valuable growth experiences for the Illini as they head into weekend series. With Big Ten play now underway, these one-and-done games may be even more instrumental.

“They’re very important,” Kerian said. “They help batters get in a good groove, and with the pitchers, it just keeps everybody active. Winning this game was big, and all mid-week games for us are going to be big.”

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