Just a week after taking down a top-10 opponent, Illinois (7-4) has come alive. It extended its winning streak to five, sweeping the First Pitch Invitational. Illinois beat Michigan State (3-6), Charleston (4-7) and Albany (0-6) en route to a 3-0 weekend.
It was a strong showing from the Illini’s pitching. Starters in the first two games tallied 12 innings while giving up just three earned runs. Sunday was a bullpen game, with nine pitchers taking the mound and seven of them giving up no runs.
The offense was once again the star of the show, though. As has been the theme throughout the season, the Illini just don’t quit when they’re down.
Back-to-back jacks slay Spartans
In Friday’s contest against Michigan State, Illinois struck first. In the third inning, graduate student catcher Daniel Contreras singled to right field, bringing in the runner from second base.
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The Illini didn’t hold the lead for long. The Spartans jumped on senior right-hander Ben Plumley, hitting two home runs in the fourth inning to put them up 3-1. Things stayed quiet after that, with neither team getting much going offensively.
Freshman first baseman AJ Putty changed that in the top of the eighth.
The freshman, who’s top-five in the conference in RBIs, sent the 1-0 pitch over the left field wall to get the Illini within one. Illinois wasn’t done.
Junior outfielder Collin Jennings came up to bat after Putty. He put his 1-0 pitch over the wall as well. Just like that, the game was tied. The Illini took a one-run lead later in the inning as junior infielder J.R. Nelson scored on a throwing error.
Michigan State got right back, though, scoring a run in the bottom of the inning to tie things up once again.
After a scoreless ninth, the Illini and Spartans headed to extra innings. After two walks, junior infielder Michael Farina doubled to bring in a run. Junior right-handed pitcher Kyle Remington set the Spartans down in order in the bottom of the frame to give the Illini the comeback victory.
High-scoring affair with Albany
Just as in many of their games this season, the Illini got locked in a close battle against the Great Danes. Despite taking a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning, Albany gave a comeback a good shot.
A two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth made it 5-2. Illinois answered with an RBI single from senior infielder Jack Zebig. Things looked good for the Illini until the bottom of the sixth.
Graduate student right-hander Richie LaCien entered the game for Illinois, and Albany immediately got to him — a leadoff triple led to an RBI single from redshirt junior outfielder Michael Maggio.
It didn’t stop there. The Great Danes got two runners in scoring position, and a single from sophomore catcher Kyle Stephens brought them both in. With the lead down to one run, the Illini made a pitching change.
Senior right-hander Mitch Dye took the mound and promptly gave up an RBI single to tie the game. However, he settled in and got out of the inning to keep it a 6-6 game.
Illinois’ offense, per usual, had its pitchers’ backs. The Illini piled it on, scoring three runs in the seventh and five more in the top of the ninth to make it 14-6. Dye muzzled the Great Danes for another two innings to earn the win.
Freshman right-hander Ike Young and graduate student right-hander Liam McKillop sat the Great Danes down in order in the ninth to secure the win.
Cougars put down by pitching
Saturday’s contest consisted of much less scoring, at least from the opponent. The Illini pitchers combined for the first shutout of the season. Junior southpaw Regan Hall got things started for Illinois.
The New Mexico native went six innings, giving up just five hits and striking out seven batters. He also went over 100 pitches for the first time in his collegiate career, tossing 102 through his six innings.
Hall was a part of the last Illini shutout last April against the Maryland Terrapins. He threw 6.1 innings, allowing just four hits while striking out six.
The bullpen finished things up for the Illini. Between freshman left-hander Aidan Flinn and senior left-hander Reed Gannon, they pitched three innings and allowed just two hits. Flinn struck out three batters in two innings.
The Illinois offense didn’t explode, but it certainly did enough to back up its pitching. Jennings got things started in the first with an RBI single. He did it again in the sixth, doubling down the right field line to bring in another run.
In the eighth inning, Farina had an RBI double, and Putty tacked on two more RBIs to his total with a two-run single.
Gannon came in for the ninth and got the Cougars 1-2-3 to give the Illini a 5-0 victory.
Conference play looms
As Big Ten play inches closer, Illinois continues to improve. It’s won six of the last seven games after starting the season 1-4. Illinois’s ability to come back has been impressive, and its pitching has done enough to back up its offense.
The Illini will need to keep it up with conference play starting next weekend against the USC Trojans (10-0). The trip to the West Coast is never easy, but Illinois has traveled a lot to start this season.
Illinois is back home against Eastern Illinois (4-5) on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. CST before it heads out west.
@ben_some16
