WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Illinois baseball (1-1) opened up its season with a doubleheader split vs. Akron (1-1) on Friday at David F. Couch Ballpark. The Illini captured a 3-1 victory in the opener before being walked off, 5-4 in 11 innings, in the finale.
GAME 1 | Illinois 3, Akron 1
The Fighting Illini began the 2024 campaign with a 3-1 victory over the Zips, backed by dominant pitching.
Jack Crowder earned his first win and quality start of the season by tossing 6.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out a career-high nine batters.
Cameron Chee-Aloy went 1-for-3 in contest, with his two-out, two-run home run in the seventh breaking a 1-1 deadlock that would give Illinois the lead for good.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Crowder worked his way out a bases-loaded, one-out, jam in the top of the first with a pair of strikeouts and then went on to face just one batter over the minimum over the next three innings.
Akron broke the tie in its half of the fifth with a solo shot with one out, but
Vytas Valincius responded immediately by leading off Illinois' half of the frame with a solo blast of his own to tie the game at 1-1.
With the game still knotted at 1-1,
Coltin Quagliano started the Illini seventh with a single, but looked as if he would be left stranded as the next two batters were retired. Chee-Aloy then came up and launched the first pitch he saw off of the foul pole in right to give the Orange and Blue the 3-1 lead.
Payton Hutchings turned in 2.0 scoreless frames of his own, setting up Jake Rons, who tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the save and seal Illinois' 3-1 victory.
GAME NOTES
»
Jack Crowder improves to 1-0 on the season, tossing his first quality start of 2024.
» 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 9 SO, 1 HR
» Struck out a career-high nine batters...has whiffed 14 batters in his last 10.0 innings of work, dating back to last season...has allowed just two runs on six hits during that span.
» Payton Hutchings worked 2.0 scoreless innings in his season debut.
» Has allowed just one run on three hits in his last 4.1 innings dating back to last season.
» Jake Rons, making his Illini debut, converted his first save opportunity of the season, spinning a 1-2-3 ninth.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy led the Fighting Illini at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
» His home run was the first hit of his collegiate career.
» Vytas Valincius went 2-for-3 in his Illini debut, slugging the team's first home run of the season.
» Asher Bradd, Chee-Aloy, Rons and Valincius all made their Illini debuts in the ballgame.
» Illinois pitchers limited Akron to just 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 34 Akron hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and five fly balls while striking out 10.
» The Illini have now won seven-straight over Akron, improving to 7-1 in the all-time series.
» Illinois wore white uniforms, moving to 1-0 when wearing those.
» Illinois moves to 1-0 in day games.
GAME 2 | Akron 5, Illinois 4 (11 inn.)
The Fighting Illini were walked off in 11 innings by Zips in the finale of the twinbill, falling by a score of 5-4.
Chee-Aloy went 1-for-3 for the second-straight game, slugging his second home run of season and collecting three RBI.
Cooper Omans made his first-career start at Illinois, allowing two runs on three hits over 4.0 innings of work, picking up a pair of strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Akron would strike first, pushing two runs across in the bottom of the third to take a 2-0 lead.
Illinois rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth, with
Cal Hejza singling home Brody Harding with one out to halve the deficit. Chee-Aloy followed by going yard for the second time in as many games, blasting another two-run opposite-field homer to make it a 3-2 game.
The Illini doubled their lead in the sixth when Chee-Aloy recorded his third RBI of the contest by getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home Harding.
The Zips, however, would scratch runs across in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at 4-4 and force extra innings.
After the teams traded zeroes in the 10th, Illinois was held scoreless to start the 11th and Akron would go on to claim the 5-4 win two batters later on a solo home run.
GAME NOTES
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Cameron Chee-Aloy went 1-for-3 with a run scored, home run, three RBI, a walk and was hit by a pitch.
» Homered for the second-straight game.
» Has back-to-back games with multiple RBI.
» Cal Hejza went 1-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.
» Joe Glassey allowed just one run on three hits over 3.0 innings of relief work.
» Has allowed just two runs on three hits over his last 10.1 innings of work, dating back to last season...amassed six strikeouts.
» Reed Gannon and Will Lavin made their Illini debuts in the contest.
» Illinois pitchers limited Akron to just 2-for-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
» Illinois pitchers faced 45 Akron hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and 15 fly balls while striking out two.
» The Fighting Illini drew five walks from Akron pitching.
» Illinois wore orange uniforms, moving to 0-1 when wearing those.
» Illinois moves to 1-1 in day games.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini will be back in action tomorrow, where they will face No. 1 Wake Forest at David F. Couch Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on ACCNX.
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