Photo by Ian Cox/Maryland Terrapins
After a Chris Hacopian fielding error left the bases loaded in the first inning, Illinois grad student Jacob Schroeder knocked the Illini’s third RBI double of the first inning, clearing the bases and giving the Illini the lead 5-0.
Illinois (18-11, 7-5 Big Ten) never trailed as it completed its sweep against Maryland (14-18, 3-9 Big Ten). The Terps fell 11-0 as the Fighting Illini invoked the run rule for the second straight game on Sunday in Champaign, Ill.
“We’ve got to have a good start coming out,” head coach Matt Swope said. “We’ve got to manufacture and get on the board and get some confidence.”
The Terps gave Jake Yeager the start on the mound. Yeager had two prior weekend starts after spending much of the season as a weekday starter.
Yeager entered the game with a 5.88 ERA in 26 innings pitched throughout his six starts. The freshman had a tough end to his last outing against Northwestern, with six earned runs in 4.1 innings.
Yeager did not fare much better against Illinois. He ended his outing after 3.1 innings, surrendering six runs — three earned — on five hits and hit four batters.
Entering the game, the Terps’ offense had struggled with runners on base. Those struggles continued, as the Terps left the bases loaded in the top of the sixth as senior catcher Alex Calarco grounded into an inning-ending double play. The Terps finished the game, stranding five runners.
The Terps’ offense continued their inconsistency after finishing the game with only four hits and no runs. Sunday’s contest was the second time this season the Terps were shut out, with the only other time coming against Washington.
“This week, we just didn’t have enough quality at-bats,” Swope said. “It seems like when things are going bad, everything is kinda exacerbated in that form.”
On the mound for the Fighting Illini was Regan Hall. The sophomore started the year in the bullpen before getting moved into the starting lineup after his first two appearances.
Hall started in his last four appearances, and entering Sunday’s game against Maryland, he had a 9.00 ERA in 21 innings pitched. Hall struggled in his last two outings, allowing 12 earned runs in 6.1 innings pitched combined.
But Hall did not struggle against the Terps, allowing four hits and through a scoreless 6.1 innings pitched — a career best for Hall.
Hall tested the Terps’ batters, pounding the strike zone and consistently getting ahead in counts. He ended his outing with a season-high six strikeouts.
The Illini scored five times in the first inning last game and did the same on Sunday, as all nine batters came to the plate. Designated hitter Greg LaChance opened the scoring with an RBI double. Two batters later, left fielder Vytas Valincius added a second run with an RBI double before Schroeder capped the inning with a bases clearing double.
The Illini continued to add to their lead, scoring once in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before ending the game in the seventh.
Illinois ended the game with a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning after sophomore center fielder Collin Jennings crushed freshman Cristofer Cespedes’ 0-2 pitch over the right field wall. Jennings’ seventh homer this season brought the lead to 11-0 and invoked the run-rule for the second straight game.
The home run also completed Illinois’ series sweep, marking the first time Maryland has been swept this season. The Terps are still searching for their first three-game series win.
“The guys are in the right mindframe … [and] we’re working really hard,” Swope said. “We’ll come out and continue to do whatever we can to get back on track because clearly this isn’t the standard.”
