In a game that saw 14 different pitchers take the mound, Illinois (16-15) got the better of Indiana State’s (16-16) bullpen. The Illini jumped out to an early lead and held on through the hail of various pitchers for a 7-3 victory.
While Illinois came away with a comfortable win, plenty happened throughout the game to draw attention. Here are three takeaways from the Illini’s 16th win of the season.
Pitchers galore
As is usual in midweek games, both teams relied heavily on their bullpens. The Sycamores trotted out nine different pitchers, and not one went over 1.2 innings pitched. Indiana State’s senior right-hander Colby Morse took the mound to start the second inning, but things quickly got out of hand.
Morse allowed four earned runs on four hits, which included a three-run home run from junior outfielder Collin Jennings. Another hit after the homer — a single from junior infielder J.R. Nelson — chased Morse from the game.
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Sycamore junior southpaw Spencer Johnsen didn’t fare much better. He got a double play to end the second inning, but gave up two runs on a single to left field from graduate student catcher Daniel Contreras.
Johnsen eventually got out of the inning, and Indiana State sent six more pitchers out to the bump. None of them lasted longer than an inning, and none but freshman lefty Jaxson Sparks allowed a run.
For the Illini, graduate student right-hander Richie LaCien got the start. He went two innings and gave up two runs on four hits. After, freshman right-hander Ike Young took the mound in relief. The Illinois native set the Sycamores down in order in two straight innings and allowed just one hit while racking up a career-high five strikeouts in his 3.1 innings.
The final three pitchers who saw the field for the Illini let up three hits and one unearned run to finish out the game. When Illinois and Indiana State met in mid-March, 16 pitchers were used across both teams.
Groves gets grounded
One negative that came from Tuesday’s win was senior outfielder Nick Groves losing his on-base streak. The senior reached base in 42-straight games, going back to last season. It was the fourth-longest on-base streak by an Illini since at least 2004.
The outfielder has been very efficient at the plate this season. He has a team-high 26 walks and is batting .319. Groves has worked a walk in all but nine games so far this season. The outfielder was also held hitless in the last matchup against Indiana State. However, he worked a walk and scored a run in that game.
Getting there one way or another
As has been the theme this year, Illinois brought the offense, and Tuesday’s game was no different. The Illini put seven runs up against the Sycamores and kept finding different ways to score.
The Illini got two on base in the second inning after a walk and a single. Contreras’ single scored freshman first baseman AJ Putty from second while redshirt junior third baseman Kyle Schupmann got to third, and a throwing error advanced Contreras to second.
The Illini’s other three runs in the inning came in a more usual fashion. Jennings’ three-run home run was his eighth of the season, which is a team-high. The home run gave Illinois a 4-2 lead.
The Illini came right back in the third inning with two more runs, getting two on with two walks. Once again, Contreras delivered. He hit his second single, this time a two-RBI single, and extended the lead to 6-2.
Illinois once again added to its lead in the seventh inning. Jennings grounded out to start the inning, but three walks and another groundout later, the bases were loaded.
Putty stepped into the box with two walks on the day already. He quickly went down 1-2 in the count, but took three straight balls to work the walk. Putty’s third walk of the day brought in the seventh and final run of the day for the Illini.
Break from Big Ten
Illinois has a break from Big Ten play this weekend with a series against New Orleans (14-21). It will be the second, third and fourth games of the Illini’s 12-game homestand. Game one is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. CDT.
@ben_some16
