CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Illinois baseball (1-1) used a big seven-run seventh inning to power past Abilene Christian, 11-6, today at Whataburger Field.
Greg LaChance put together a three-hit, two-run and two-RBI performance at the plate while Drake Westcott and Coltin Quagliano each launched their first home runs of the season.
Ben Plumley turned in a solid outing in his first-career start, allowing just one run on three hits over 5.0 innings of work, racking up six strikeouts. Regan Hall would pick up the win out of the bullpen after allowing three runs on five hits over 2.0 innings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the third and kept the Illini off the board through four innings. In the home half of the fifth, a two-out RBI-single from Kyle Schupmann brought the contest level at 1-1.
After Hall turned in a shutdown frame in the sixth, Drake Westcott gave Illinois the lead for the first time in the game with a two-run shot to right center, the 35th of his Illinois career, to make it 3-1.
Abilene Christian would hit back with three runs in the seventh, all with two outs, to take a 4-3 lead.
Following the stretch, the Orange and Blue offense erupted for seven runs to take the lead for good. With runners on the corners, Vytas Valincius tied the game with a single and would come around to score on LaChance's two-run single a batter later. Quagliano earned his first RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly and Jack Zebig followed with an RBI double. After a walk drawn by Cameron Chee-Aloy, Zebig would race home all the way from second on a wild pitch. Valincius would come up again in the inning with the bases loaded and draw a walk to pick up his second RBI of the ballgame and give the Illini a 10-4 advantage.
The Wildcats would push a run across in the eighth, but Illinois grabbed it right back when Quagliano lined an opposite-field shot to right to make it 11-5.
Abilene Christian would score one more in the ninth but it would not be enough as the Illini would go on to win 11-6 on head coach Dan Hartleb's birthday.
UP NEXT
The Illini go for the series win tomorrow in the weekend finale vs. Abilene Christian. First pitch from Whataburger Field is set for 10 a.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Greg LaChance went 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and three stolen bases.
» First three-hit game of his Illinois career.
» First Illini, along with Nick Groves, to have three steals in a game since Zac Taylor on Feb. 16, 2019, at No. 20 Wake Forest.
» Drake Westcott went 2-for-5 with two runs, a double, home run and two RBI.
» Homered for the 35th time in his Illinois career, matching Brian McClure (1993-96) for ninth-most all-time in program history.
» Nick Groves went 2-for-4 with a run, walk and three stolen bases.
» First Illini, along with Greg LaChance, to have three steals in a game since Zac Taylor on Feb. 16, 2019, at No. 20 Wake Forest.
» Has consecutive two-hit games to begin the season.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three walks.
» Extended his hitting streak to 17 games and his on-base streak to 21 games.
» Has reached base safely in 32 of 33 career games.
» Has gone 29-for-70 (.414) with five doubles, a triple, a home run and 14 RBI during his hitting streak.
» His three walks matched a career high, which he set on March 22, 2024, at Indiana.
» Ben Plumley took no decision in his first career start.
» 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 4 BB, 6 SO, 86 pitches, 50 strikes.
» The 20 runs scored by Illinois in the first two games are the season are the most since the 2014 campaign (23).
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Wildcats at a 12-10 clip.
» Illinois has 28 hits through two games this season.
» Most in a two-game span since collecting 29 hits from May 18-22, 2024.
» Most hits in a two-game span to begin a season since the 2004 campaign (28).
» The Fighting Illini stole six bases as a team.
» Most stolen bases in a single game since also swiping six bags on May 11, 2013, vs. Penn State.
» Illinois went 5-for-12 (.417) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 44 Abilene Christian hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and three fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Fighting Illini drew eight walks from Abilene Christian pitching.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
