On day after the #3 seed Illinois Baseball team (32-20) couldn’t find their bats in Game One of the Baseball Big Ten Baseball Tournament in Omaha, they turned it around. At TD Ameritrade Park, they provided all the offense starting pitcher Kevin Duchene (left) needed against #7 seed Ohio State in their 6-5 win.
Duchene (4-1) was pretty effective given the 6-5 score. Of the five Buckeye runs, only one was earned. He gave up just five hits and walked two in his six innings.
It probably helped that the pressure was off Duchene. From the first inning on, the Illini never fell behind in the game and only for a short inning were they tied. A key error in the seventh inning helped the Illini put two runs on the board and take the lead for good.
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It was a team effort today. Every starter in the Illini lineup got at least one hit. The top five (Krug, Walton, Kerian, Goldstein and Reid Roper) contributed two hits as did Kelly Norris-Jones who spear-headed the key seventh inning with a lead off basehit.
Once Duchene was pulled after six innings, Nick Blackburn (left) and Tyler Jay did him justice by pitching a combined three innings of scoreless ball. Jay earned his 10th save of the 2014 season.
Next up
What happens next? I guess it depends on what happens in tonight’s game between Nebraska and Michigan State. On Friday afternoon at 3:30pm, Illinois will face the loser between those two. That’s a tough call. Nebraska is a tough team but the Spartans despite their win earlier in the tourney may still be harboring some grudges against the Orange and Blue. Regardless. it will be John Kravetz (6-1) on the mound and THAT’s good news for the Illini.
The winner of that game goes plays on Saturday and that’s when you know things are getting exciting.
For the full Big Ten Tournament bracket and other info, check out Tournament Central.
Go Illinois!!