After a huge ranked victory in their last game, the Illini (4-4) returned home looking to build on that momentum. Their red-hot offense remained steady in this one, racking up 13 runs off 15 hits. Head coach Dan Hartleb was glad to see the hitting carry over from the last game.
“I was pleased with the offense from a standpoint that whenever we gave up a few runs and went down, our offense answered,” Hartleb said. “Maintaining it, you just got to swing at good pitches and have some composure at the plate. We did in some big situations, and we just need to continue to get better, both physically and mentally.”
Sophomore right-hander Sam Mommer drew his first start for Illinois and kept Lindenwood (4-4) scoreless in his two innings.
Illinois struck first during the third inning. After reaching base on an error, then stealing a bag, senior outfielder Nick Groves found himself on second. A groundout advanced Groves, then freshman first baseman AJ Putty delivered a sacrifice fly to give Illinois a 1-0 lead.
Back-and-forth affair
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Lindenwood responded immediately with a huge fourth inning. It wasn’t pretty for freshman right-hander Ike Young, as a single, a hit by pitch and a walk loaded the bases immediately. A mound visit wasn’t enough to slow the momentum as fifth-year utility player Filip Sarota knocked in two runs with a single through the infield gap.
Then came the dagger. Sophomore infielder Charlie Isom-McCall followed up Sarota’s single by drilling a ball over the wall in right-center field to drive in three more for the Lions. Freshman outfielder Ethan Cantareira doubled in the next at-bat, and with a runner on and no outs, it looked like Illinois was in for a long inning. Young then gained control of the strike zone and struck out the next three batters to close out the top of the inning.
The Illini shook it off and responded with a five-run inning of their own. After a leadoff walk, junior outfielder Collin Jennings hit a two-run bomb, building momentum for Illinois. Jennings saw the hanger and executed.
“Just looking for something good to hit over the plate,” Jennings said. “Just got a ball that was hung and put a good swing on it.”
Senior outfielder Cole Warehime doubled, then stole a bag. A hit by pitch from the next batter put runners on the corners for Groves, who singled to give Illinois another run. A sacrifice fly from junior infielder Michael Farina tied the game at 5, then Putty knocked an RBI single to give the Illini a 6-5 lead.
Despite not playing in their last game, Warehime made a huge impact in this one, going 3-5 at the plate and recording four putouts in right field.
“We got a lot of good players. I don’t ever get upset when I don’t play,” Warehime said. “Obviously, I’m not where I want to be, but I definitely put a chip on my shoulder, and I’m glad to go out there and get a W and collect hits.”
The Illini gave up two more runs in the fifth inning, but stayed hot offensively. Illinois tallied three extra-base hits in its half of the frame. A leadoff pitch followed by a double brought up senior catcher Will Johannes. A three-run blast gave Illinois the lead.
Warehime singled, then Groves drew a walk. After a groundout, Warehime scored a wild pitch. Putty then sent a high pop-up to right field, the ball seemingly in the air forever. The right fielder let it drop right in front of him, giving Putty a triple. This made it an 11-7 ball game.
Crucial insurance seals victory
Graduate student right-hander Richie LaCien came into the game at the end of the fifth inning and recorded two innings pitched. He provided a much-needed level of consistency, giving up no runs and only one hit. His Illinois debut ended with him securing his first win as a part of the program. Hartleb commended his performance for getting them out of a jam.
“He came in, did a really good job getting us out of a bases-loaded situation. I was pleased with that,” Hartleb said. “One of the things you talk about with the relievers is getting the first out, and not letting inherited runners score. So he did both those things.”
Illinois scored two more runs in the seventh, which turned out to be important as Lindenwood tacked on a pair of runs in the final frame. A couple of hits followed by an error and a wild pitch made the game somewhat interesting, but Illinois held on to secure the victory.
Illinois looks to make it a three-game winning streak on Friday as it heads to South Carolina to face Michigan State (2-4). First pitch is set for 1 p.m CST.
