CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois opened its three-game series against Rutgers with a 13-7 win on Friday night at Illinois Field.
The Illini offense registered their highest scoring output in Big Ten play this season, including nine runs in the first inning, while the bullpen held the Scarlet Knights to one run over the final four frames en route to the series-opening win.
Nick Groves and AJ Putty each posted four-hit nights, with Groves also scoring three runs and Putty posting a team-high five RBI.
Kyle Schupmann went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Michael Farina posted a 2-for-5 day at the plate with two runs scored.
On the mound, Sam Reed recorded his first win of the season, going three innings without allowing an earned run. Reed Gannon posted two shutout innings, while Mitch Dye got the start and went four innings while striking out four.
After the Scarlet Knights opened the scoring in the top half of the first, the Orange and Blue answered with nine runs in the bottom of the frame. The first five Illini batters reached in the inning, while six different players recorded an RBI as the hosts sent 14 men to the plate and totaled nine hits in the frame.
Rutgers accounted for the game's next five runs, though the Illini added some insurance via Putty's two-run single in the sixth to give Illinois an 11-6 edge.
The visitors' final run came in the top of the seventh, while the Orange and Blue rounded out the high-scoring contest on Schupmann's two-RBI sacrifice fly in the eighth.
GAME NOTES
- Nick Groves went 4-for-5 with three runs scored.
- Extended his on-base streak to 32 games.
- Recorded a career-high four hits.
- Had his seventh multi-hit game of the season.
- Tied his season-high with three runs scored.
- Scored multiple runs for the fourth time.
- Michael Farina posted a 2-for-5 day at the plate with two runs scored.
- Tallied his ninth multi-hit game of the season.
- Scored multiple runs for the fifth time.
- Jack Zebig went 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI.
- Has an RBI in three straight appearances.
- AJ Putty went 4-for-5 with five RBI, a double, and a run scored.
- Had at least four hits for the third time this season.
- Marked his eighth multi-hit game.
- Had at least five RBI for the second time.
- Has multiple RBI in nine games this season.
- His first-inning double with his 14th extra-base hit of the season.
- Collin Jennings went 1-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
- Has a hit in six consecutive games.
- Drove in multiple runs for the fifth time.
- Scored multiple runs for the sixth time this season.
- Kyle Schupmann went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.
- Registered a season-high three RBI.
- Was also his first multi-RBI game of the year.
- Logged his fifth multi-hit game of the season.
- Cole Crafton went 1-for-4 with an RBI and scored a run.
- Was his second RBI of the season/of his career.
- Has a hit in three of his last four appearances.
- J.R. Nelson went 1-for-4 with an RBI and scored a run.
- Has an RBI in four of the last six games.
- Mitch Dye got the start and went four innings with four strikeouts.
- Made his second start of the season.
- Went 4.0+ innings for the second time this year.
- Had 4+ strikeouts for the second time.
- Sam Reed went 3.0 innings without allowing an earned run.
- Has no earned runs in five of his six appearances this season.
- Tied for his longest outing of the year.
- Reed Gannon threw 2.0 innings with only one hit allowed
- Has thrown multiple innings in seven of his team-high nine outings.
- The Illini's 13 runs and 16 hits are their most in Big Ten play this season.
- Illinois' nine runs in the first were its most in any inning this season.
UP NEXT
Illinois (11-9, 3-4 B1G) continues its series against Rutgers with Game 2 on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. Admission is free, while the game will stream on B1G+.
