CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois baseball (8-11) received contributions from every part a lineup that slugged three home runs, helping the Fighting Illini to a 12-10 win over Bradley (6-13) tonight at Illinois Field.
Payton Hutchings picked up the victory out of the bullpen for the Illini. The left-hander tossed 2.1 shutout innings striking out six of the seven batters that he faced. Ben Plumley also made an impact on the mound, working 2.0 scoreless frames while allowing one hit and punching out two.
Camden Janik fell just a double shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with two runs, a triple, home run and two RBI. Cal Hejza and Jacob Schroeder both went yard, with the duo each hitting a two-run home run and five different Illini had multi-hit performances.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Braves plated a run their first time up to take an early lead but Janik’s solo blast in the bottom half of the inning tied the game and the Illini would take a 2-1 lead after Drake Westcott scored on a passed ball.
Bradley scored six times in the second to make it 7-2, but Illinois chipped away at the lead with two more in the second through a Cameron Chee-Aloy RBI-single and a Janik RBI-triple, making it 7-4.
The visitors added one more run in the third before Hutchings took over on the mound. The Coal City, Ill., native struck out the first batter he faced to end the inning and then punched out the side in the fourth. Hutchings then kept the Braves off the board in…
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