The Illinois baseball team split a doubleheader Friday against Iowa at Illinois Field. The Illini won the opener 12-8 before dropping the final game of the series 8-3.

 

Illinois scored eight runs in the seventh inning to come from behind and beat Iowa 12-8.

Illinois went 7 for 15 (.467) with runners in scoring position and 16 for 38 (.421) overall. Five Illini had multiple hits, led by three-hit games from Michael Massey and Bren Spillane, who each drove in three runs.

 

Ryan Schmitt (5-2) earned the win in 2 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He got the last out of the seventh and stayed in to finish the eighth and ninth while allowing one run on one hit.

 

Pat McInerney hit his team-best 15th home run of the season in the first inning but Iowa's Jake Adams hit two homers as the Hawkeyes beat Illinois 8-3. Adams finished off the Big Ten home runs title with his 23rd and 24th shots of the season.

 

Spillane had his second straight three-hit game to finish the day 6 for 8 with three RBIs. McInerney went 4 for 8 during the two games, including his 28th career homer and five RBIs.

 

Iowa (34-19, 15-9 Big Ten) moves on to next week's Big Ten Tournament.