On Tuesday, the Illini traveled to Normal for a crucial midweek matchup with the Illinois State Redbirds. This matchup, a rematch of last week’s 12-9 duel between the two Central Illinois programs is critical for both sides.

The Illini have lost 12 of their last 19 games entering the evening. One of those losses was that 12-9 game in which the Illini bats could not catch up to the Redbirds. Illinois looks to take revenge for that home loss and beat its in-state rivals on the road.

On the bump for the Illini would be junior righthander Jack Crowder. The Illini jumped out to a quick lead thanks to a power surge at the plate.

Sophomore Camden Janik hit his sixth long ball of the year in the first inning, giving Illinois a 1-0 lead. Not long after, junior Drake Westcott hit his team-leading eighth homer of the season, as Illinois bounced out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning.

Through the first three innings, Crowder was mowing down hitters like the front lawn. Crowder was taken out after four shutout innings, only allowing two hits across the four frames.

On offense, the Illini continued to puke on the runs, scoring three runs in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead. The Redbirds got one back, but the Illini kept their foot on the gas pedal, adding another pair of runs. The second run came on their third homer of the evening, as they took a 9-1 lead over the Redbirds.

Illinois once again put up a three-spot in the seventh inning. However, it was negated by the Redbirds who also scored three in the bottom half of the frame.

The Illini piled on more runs in the ninth inning, as they looked to close the game with a 16-5 lead. The offense had completely taken over, and the pitching matched the offense’s intensity. The Illinois offense was bolstered by nine extra-base hits, seven walks and three home runs. The Illini pitching staff did their job and locked it down. The Illini took the rematch by a final of 16-5, as they improved their record to 14-15.

Illinois needed this win more than anything, and they got it. Now, they will head back home to Champaign for an eight-game homestand, starting with a rematch against a team that eliminated them in last year’s Big Ten tournament, the Indiana Hoosiers. This year, the Hoosiers are the class of the Big Ten, with a 7-2 record in conference play, and 23-10 record overall. By far, this will be Illinois’ biggest challenge of the conference season.

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