Illinois (10-12, 2-1) made its way to Bloomington, Indiana, for its first Big Ten matchup of the 2024 season, with Indiana on deck. The teams are certainly familiar with one another, with the series finale marking the 70th matchup between the two Midwestern Big Ten staples.
Offensive explosions and blowout victories defined the first two games of the series, with the Illini winning 9-1 on Friday and the Hoosiers winning 8-1 on Saturday. The Illini started the series finale on Sunday about as well as they could have hoped for, lighting up the scoreboard in a dominant 15-8 win.
The Friday series opener started as a pitcher’s duel, with neither team getting any offense past both pitchers. However, the Hoosiers broke the deadlock first, with a sacrifice fly driving in their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior right-hander Jack Crowder pitched a fantastic game, earning his first win of the season after five innings of two-hit, two-walk ball while also recording six strikeouts.
The Illini offense popped off in the sixth inning, however, erupting for eight runs on six hits and four walks. Illinois sent 14 hitters to the plate, as it ended the three-game losing streak to Indiana. However, Saturday’s game was a very different story for the Illini.
The Hoosiers held the Illini to only three hits in the 8-1 loss, as they scored their only run of the day in the eighth inning, courtesy of redshirt senior catcher Jacob Schroeder. Indiana took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, and from that moment on, the hosts piled on before the Schroeder single made it a 4-1 game. Indiana took control in the bottom half of the eighth, adding four runs to dispel any questions of who would win game two of the Big Ten matchup.
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However, one of the bright spots for the Illini was freshman outfielder Cameron Chee-Aloy. Chee-Aloy reached base safely on Saturday for the 18th time in 19 games, continuing his stellar debut season for the Illini.
Chee-Aloy and the Illini started hot in the rubber match on Sunday, plating four runs before the Hoosiers even stepped up to the plate. Chee-Aloy led off with a single, advanced to second on a throwing error, followed by a groundout that brought him to third and scored on a single from junior catcher Camden Janik. Then redshirt junior first baseman Drake Westcott emptied the bases with a home run before Schroeder hit a double a few batters later to give Illinois a 4-0 lead.
After a scoreless third inning, the Illini bats got back to their ways from the first, this time doubling the total from the first frame, taking a 12-0 lead heading into the middle innings. Sophomore right-hander Jake Swartz pitched very well with five innings of shutout ball, allowing just five base runners and recording four strikeouts. Indiana recorded its first run in the sixth, before adding another pair of runs in the seventh.
The Hoosiers didn’t go quietly, putting up five more runs in the eighth inning to make it a 14-8 Illini lead. The Illini stood strong, closing out the series with a 15-8 win.
Illinois is back in action on Tuesday in a neutral site game against its longtime rival Missouri. The annual Braggin’ Rights game is set for Tuesday, with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. in Sauget, Illinois.
@arrosen76
