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against Southern Illinois
03/19/2023 | 12:00 p.m.
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March 19 (Sunday) / 12 p.m. CT
against Southern Illinois
BOONEVILLE, Miss. — Fighting Illini baseball (9-6) earned a series win with a wild 12-10 win over Southern Illinois (8-12) at the Plex in a back-and-forth affair.
With the game tied at 9-9 in the sixth, Drake Westcott hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot, to give Illinois a lead they would not return. Jacob Schroeder followed two batters later with his second solo shot of the contest which would end up being the game winner.
The Salukis were putting runners in the corners with no one to start the seventh, but Korey Bunselmeyer came out of the bullpen and kept Illini’s lead at two, catching the first two batters he faced before Brody Harding never cuts a runner who breaks for home. on a double steal attempt to end the inning.
Branden Comia would push a run in the seventh to make it 12-9 going into the eighth.
Southern Illinois threatened again, scoring once on a pair of hits and errors, but TJ Constertina entered the ball game leaving the bases loaded, causing a pop-up in territory. foul to keep the game at 12-10.
Constertina walked the first batter he faced in the ninth but rebounded the next batter in a double play before getting a flyout to earn his second stoppage of the season.
The Salukis scratched a run in their first time to open the contest, but Westcott responded with his first homer of the game, a two-out, two-run, no doubt right.
The lead would then change hands twice more over the next two innings, with Southern Illinois scoring twice in the second to make it 3-2 and Illinois scoring three times in the second to make the lead. score at 5-3. Schroeder would go into the yard to start the frame and the Illini would later get RBIs from Danny Doligale and Comia.
The Salukis scored one in the third but the Illini extended the lead to 7-4 in the bottom half after Cal Hejza walked with the bases loaded and Doligale was then hit by a pitch.
Southern Illinois regained the lead scoring four times in the top of the fourth to make it 8-7, but Ryan Moerman doubled a home pair with two outs to make it 9-8 at Illinois.
After the Salukis scored in the fifth to tie the game, John Lundgren held them clear of the board in the sixth, setting up the deciding bottom half of the inning.
The Illini have a chance to make a series sweep tomorrow, with the Plex’s first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT.
PLAY NOTES
Head coach Dan Hartleb has 516 career wins and is just three wins away from passing Lee Eilbracht (518) for the most in program history.
Drake Westcott went 2 for 3 with four runs, two homers, three RBIs and two walks.
First career two-home run game of his college career.
Four points scored, a career high.
Walked at least once in 10 of his last 11 games…played in two games on multiple steps in that span.
Hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games and in 12 of 15 games overall this season.
Jacob Schroeder went 2 for 5 with two runs, two home runs and two RBIs.
ยป First multi-HR game of his Illini career and second of his collegiate career… also homered twice on March 23, 2022 for John A. Logan CC
Has four home runs in eight games, second on the team.
Posted 1,299 OPS in 28 at-bats.
Branden Comia extended his on-base streak to 55 games after going 1 for 5 with two RBIs.
He’s only eight games away from equaling Cam McDonald’s program record of 63 games, which was set last season.
Led in runs in three straight games, including back-to-back multi-RBI games.
The Illini have scored in six of their eight innings.
There were a total of five scoreless half-innings in the game.
Illinois hit a season-high four home runs.
Every Illinois starter made it to base safely in the win.
Four Fighting Illini had several hits in the ball game.
The Illinois pitchers faced 45 Southern Illinois batters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out six.
The Fighting Illini walked five pitchers from Southern Illinois.
Illinois has now won its first three three-game series to open the season.
The Orange and Blue have won six consecutive three-game series, dating back to last season.
The Illini haven’t dropped a three-game streak since Indiana won two of three from April 29-May 1.
This story was created using Data Skrive’s content automation technology.
