CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Penn State baseball team (16-22) fell 9-0 in game one of the three-game series to the Fighting Illini Friday night. Matt Wood paced the offense with two hits in the game.
How it Happened
Illinois got on the scoreboard first, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second. Starter Bailey Dees looked to end the frame after a one-out double. Dees got a soft groundout to Justin Williams to record the second out of the inning.
A single to left scored the first run of the game for the Illini. The next batter for Illinois homered to left center and gave the Fighting Illini a 3-0 lead.
The Nittany Lions looked to trim the lead in the top of the third. Gavin Homer and Matt Wood singled with one out in the inning but the next two Nittany Lions were retired to end the offensive threat.
Illinois added another run in the bottom of the fourth. A lead off double and a single plated a run for the Fighting Illini and made it 4-0 through four full innings.
Parker Hendershot led off the top of the fifth with a line drive single to center. A fielder's choice erased Hendershot and the next two Nittany Lions went down swinging to end the frame.
An inside the park home run led off the bottom of the fifth and made it 5-0 in favor of Illinois.
Two more runs scored in the bottom of the sixth after the Nittany Lions recorded a pair of outs in the inning. The Illini loaded the bases with three walks and then a two-out RBI double plated the two runs in the inning.
The Illini would score the final two runs of the game on a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 9-0 and give Illinois the game one win.
Up Next
Penn State will be back in action tomorrow at 8:02 ET on the Big Ten Network. Conor Larkin will start for the Nittany Lions.