Illinois (20-13) picked up its fourth-straight win with a 21-11 blowout of Northern Illinois (11-24), in seven innings, to complete the weekend series sweep, Sunday at Illinois Field in Champaign.
Jacob Schroeder and Drake Westcott had monster days at the plate, with the duo slugging three home runs each. They would combine to go 6-for-8 in the game with seven runs, six home runs, 13 RBI and two walks to power an Illini offense that slugged a season-high eight home runs, the most in a single game since at least 2004, falling just one shy of matching the single-game program record.
Ben Plumley picked up the victory out of the bullpen. The right-hander went 1.2 shutout innings without giving up a hit, allowing no walks and striking out three. Payton Hutchings also made an impact on the mound for the Fighting Illini, throwing 1.0 scoreless frames while allowing no hits, with no walks and two strikeouts.
Illinois faced a 6-0 deficit before taking an at-bat in the contest, but got three of those runs back, one on a Cal Hejza RBI-single and a two-run shot from Westcott.
The Huskies pushed the lead to five with two runs in the second, but the Illini would bring the game level with five runs in their half of the frame. Coltin Quagliano brought home a run on a single and Hejza brought home three on a round-tripper right center. Westcott then tied the game with a towering solo blast to right field, making it 8-8.
Northern Illinois broke the tie with a run in the fourth, but Illinois would take the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Wescott completed his home run hat trick by launching another moonshot over the scoreboard to score two runs and open the scoring in the frame. Schroeder followed three batters later with a two-run blast of his own, his second of the game, to cap the frame and make it 12-10.
Cameron Chee-Aloy led off the fifth with a solo home run and Ryan Moerman continued the scoring with a bases-loaded walk. Schroeder cleared the bases with a grand slam and Brody Harding would score on a wild pitch.
Schroeder launched his third home run of the game, a second two-run blast, in the sixth to make it 21-9 Illini, the first time since May 10, 2015, vs. Rutgers that the Illini have scored at least 20 runs in a game.
Schroeder went 3-for-4 with three home runs, eight RBI and walk. Westcott went 3-for-4 with three home runs, five RBI and a walk.
The Fighting Illini continue this homestand with a midweek matchup with SIUE on Tuesday.
