BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The Illinois Fighting Illini baseball team won this weekend's three-game series at Western Kentucky on Sunday with a 9-4 victory over the Hilltoppers in game one of the Sunday doubleheader. Illinois and Western Kentucky split the Sunday doubleheader as the Hilltoppers took game two. The Illini offense combined for 21 runs and 27 hits in the first two games of the series.
GAME ONE (Illinois 9, Western Kentucky 4)
Danny Doligale set a new career-high with four hits as the Illini racked up a season-high 14 hits while scoring nine runs. Five of Illinois' 14 hits were extra base hits, and all nine Illini starters scored a run.
Illinois jumped ahead early, notching four runs in the first inning as each of the first four batters to step to the plate earned hits. Cam McDonald extended his hit streak to ten games with a two-RBI double, the second double of the inning for the Illini. Illinois scored four runs in the top of the first inning, the second time this weekend scoring four runs or more in the first.
Western Kentucky got a run back in the home half of the fourth inning on back-to-back doubles, their first hits of the afternoon. The Hilltoppers continued to fight back, plating another three runs in the fifth to come within one run of the Illini.
After Western Kentucky scored four unanswered runs, the Illini responded in the top of the seventh with four more to extend their lead to 9-4.
Sophomore RHP Riley Gowens earned his second win of the season in two starts, going 4.1 innings and giving up four runs while striking out four. Joseph Glassey entered in relief of Gowens, throwing an impressive 2.1 innings without allowing a run and tallying four strikeouts to earn his first save of the season.
GAME TWO (Western Kentucky 4, Illinois 2)
The Hilltoppers struck first in the bottom of the third inning and followed up with another two runs in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead into the fifth frame. Jacob Campbell put the Illini on the board with a solo homerun to left field in the eighth inning, a no-doubt shot for his second of the season. The Illini also added one more run in the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate, but the comeback effort fell short.
Sophomore RHP Jack Wenninger started his second game on the mound this season, giving up three runs and striking out two in 3.2 innings of work. Ryan Kutt entered in relief and threw 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on two hits.
Illinois is back home at Illinois Field on Tuesday, hosting Butler at 4 p.m. CT.
NOTES
• Cam McDonald has hit safely in 11 consecutive games and has reached base in every game this season (13 game on-base streak).
• The Illinois offense combined for 21 runs and 27 hits in the first two games of the series.
• Ryan Kutt tallied 4.1 innings in game two, the longest outing of his career.
• Danny Doligale set a new career-high with four hits in game one.
• Illinois scored a combined nine first-inning runs in the first two games.
• All nine Illinois starters scored a run in game one.
• Joseph Glassey earned his first save of the season in game one.