Chambana Sun

Illinois baseball secured a 3-1 victory against Washington at Husky Ballpark, concluding their series with a win. The team's record improved to 22-15 overall and 10-8 in the conference.

Regan Hall led the pitching efforts, allowing just one run over 5.1 innings and striking out four, enhancing his record to 5-2. Payton Hutchings provided 2.2 innings without conceding a run, while Zach Bates earned his fourth save after delivering a scoreless ninth inning.

Key contributions in the fourth inning came from Jacob Schroeder, Drake Westcott, and Greg LaChance with each player delivering RBI singles. The Illini took a 3-0 lead in that inning which they maintained for the remainder of the game.

Washington put runners in scoring positions multiple times, but the Illinois defense successfully thwarted these chances. Their sole run came in the sixth inning, but any further threat was neutralized by the Illini.

Drake Westcott finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI, making him the only player with multiple hits for Illinois in the game. Hall marked his third consecutive win, while Hutchings lengthened his scoreless innings streak to 7.2 innings over six games. Bates completed the game by working around a one-out walk in the ninth.

In terms of statistics, Illinois achieved a .333 batting average with runners in scoring position, whereas Washington was held to zero hits in those situations. Illinois pitchers faced 39 hitters, inducing eight ground balls, 11 fly balls, and seven strikeouts.