No. 8 Illinois capped a perfect weekend in Happy Valley with a 6-3 victory, sweeping Penn State and setting a school record with 17 straight wins. The Illini increased the best start in school history to 36-6-1 and remained in first place in the Big Ten. UI swept PSU for the third year in a row and earned its fourth conference sweep in 2015.
The Illini jumped out to a 4-0 advantage with four runs on five hits in the second. With one out and seniors Casey Fletcher and David Kerian on the corners, senior Will Krug perfectly executed a suicide squeeze bunt for the first run.
After a walk and pop out, junior Ryan Nagle poked a two-out, two-run single to center. Redshirt-senior Reid Roper followed with an RBI single the opposite way to left field.
Junior Jason Goldstein added an insurance run in the ninth with his sixth home run of the season.
Starter John Kravetz improved to 4-0 on the season with six solid innings on Sunday.
Reliever J.D. Nielsen was sharp in relief in the seventh, while sophomore Cody Sedlock struck out two during a scoreless eighth. Junior Nick Blackburn picked up his second save with a perfect ninth.
No. 8 Illinois will play its final midweek game on Tuesday (April 28) at Southern Illinois at 6 p.m.
