After winning four of its last seven games, Illinois (12-9, 2-4) seemed to find its groove. The timing was perfect, with Illinois taking on a struggling Northwestern (10-11, 3-3) in a three-game series over the weekend.
Considering that the Illini were 11-7 entering the matchup, they had a clear advantage over the then 8-10 Wildcats. Despite its advantage on paper, Illinois fell to Northwestern, two games to one.
Split doubleheader
The Illini took a short trip up to Evanston to start its weekend with a doubleheader. In game one, Illinois got on the board early with a two-run second inning. Despite a solid outing from junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Schmitt, the bats slowed down after the third inning.
Schmitt would go 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts. Multiple pitchers cycled through the rest of the game, but the Wildcats eventually bested junior left-hander Reed Gannon, who was credited with the loss. Gannon allowed two earned runs in only 0.2 innings pitched.
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On the offensive side, the bats mustered only four runs. This marked Illinois’ lowest-scoring game since Feb. 23. Junior first baseman Grant Ross and shortstop Jack Zebig both recorded a multi-hit game, but it wasn’t enough. In the end, Northwestern took the first game 5-4.
Game two bounce-back
After a rough first game, the Illini offense came out with a vengeance and put 11 runs on the board. Sophomore third baseman Kyle Schupmann had a great day at the plate, recording three hits and two RBI. Four other Illini recorded at least two hits in the victory.
The pitching load was split again and began with right-handed sophomore Ben Plumley, who lasted 5.2 innings. The underclassman allowed four earned runs and struck out six. Left-handed senior Payton Hutchings threw 3.1 innings and gave up two earned runs in relief. The duo held the Wildcats to a combined six runs as the Illini took an 11-6 victory to even the series.
Series-ending blowout loss
In the finale, the rivals battled for just seven innings. This time, the Northwestern bats came out hot. The game quickly escalated, as the hosts scored five runs in the second inning. The Illini produced another low-scoring game, again only putting up four runs. The same could not be said for the Wildcats, who posted a season-high 14 runs.
The rough outing belonged to left-handed sophomore Regan Hall, who surrendered six earned runs in just two innings. Hall didn’t struggle with his command — he only walked two bats. The Wildcats were simply all over his pitches and made plenty of loud contact.
This game was a familiar tale for Illinois, as pitching has been a struggle all year. If the weekend proves anything, it’s that the Illini will hardly win games if the staff continues to give up runs excessively.
Next up: Missouri, Michigan State
The schedule isn’t getting any easier for Illinois, as it takes on Missouri (8-14) Tuesday and Michigan State (16-7, 3-3) this weekend. Missouri will be a one-game affair, while Michigan State will be its next series opponent.
