Illinois (10-8, 2-4) had another tough test on its desk as the weekend rolled around. For its first home Big Ten series of the season, Minnesota (15-5, 1-2) came to town, and it proved to be a close series all the way to the end.
Game 1 goes the distance
Friday’s series opener was quite a doozy. Both sides had a difficult time getting the bats going after scoring double-digit runs in their respective midweek contests.
Senior right-hander Mitch Dye got the ball for Illinois, while junior right-hander Cole Selvig had the nod for Minnesota. Both pitchers threw three scoreless frames before Dye’s first blemish hit the scoresheet in the fourth: a solo home run by senior outfielder Easton Richter.
The Illini did not take long to fight back with some small ball. Senior infielder Jack Zebig doubled down the right field line to lead off the bottom of the fifth and advanced to third on a flyout. He then scored as J.R. Nelson grounded out to second, tying the game at 1-1.
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Immediately after, Illinois loaded the bases with two outs and had a chance to turn the game upside-down. Junior outfielder Collin Jennings stepped up in this big moment, but lined out to third on the first pitch of his at-bat, ending the threat in the blink of an eye.
The rest of the game was a battle of attrition. In the sixth through ninth innings, both teams continued having their chances, but stranded a combined 10 runners, forcing extra innings.
The Golden Gophers went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th, setting up a chance for the Illini to finish the deal in the bottom half. Jennings redeemed himself with a single, eventually advancing all the way to third.
With Minnesota in a tough spot, head coach Ty McDevitt called sophomore right-hander Adam Urban out of the bullpen. He loaded the bases for senior outfielder Cole Warehime, and this time, he made no mistake. Warehime lined the first pitch he saw into center field, scoring Jennings and walking off the Golden Gophers.
Double dip
Mother Nature once again dealt a losing hand to the Illini. With inclement weather in Sunday’s forecast, they switched to a Saturday doubleheader to outrun the storms.
The first game of the twinbill proved to be another pitcher’s duel. This time, junior right-handers Isaac Morton and Regan Hall duked it out on the mound. Like Friday, both offenses posted zeroes in the first three frames.
The fourth inning proved to be the breaking point yet again. Richter singled to lead off the top half, and a costly throwing error by junior infielder Michael Farina allowed him to take the extra base. Minnesota then got on the board thanks to senior catcher Weber Neels singling to center field.
On Friday, Illinois had its get-back quickly. This time around, the Illini struggled to get runners into scoring position. When they did, they either got thrown out at home, left the bags loaded or went down quietly.
In whatever case, Illinois did not plate a single run and dropped the second contest, 1-0. They evened the series at one game apiece.
Late game heroics
Coming into this weekend, Minnesota was among the top offenses in the Big Ten, ranking in the top five in batting average, RBIs, slugging percentage and home runs. Through two games, the Golden Gophers managed two runs, as the Illini’s pitching kept them at bay.
The series finale saw the Gophers and Illini at another stalemate. Through six innings, they were tied 0-0. The pitching on both sides was strong throughout the weekend, and it felt like this game would go nowhere.
The Golden Gophers took the lead in the seventh inning on a single by junior outfielder Ty Allen, and with only nine outs to respond, the Illini needed to answer fast. They did just that in the bottom half, and then some.
The first three Illini reached base in the bottom half, leaving the task up to Zebig. He also reached on an error, leading to a run scoring and a Minnesota pitching change. That did not help the Golden Gophers, as redshirt junior infielder Kyle Schupmann and sophomore outfielder Brayden Mazzacano both drew walks, leading to another change on the mound.
Just like that, Illinois had a 2-1 lead, but it did not stop there. Nelson drew another bases-loaded walk, and a fourth run would score on senior outfielder Nick Groves’ sacrifice fly.
That big seventh inning by Illinois proved to be more than enough to secure a 4-2 victory and the series win. The offense broke through when it mattered the most, and it proved to be the difference in the rubber match.
