Chambana Sun

Illinois secured a 3-1 victory over Purdue at Illinois Field, clinching their baseball series with the Boilermakers. Illinois pitcher Regan Hall earned his fourth consecutive win, bringing his season record to 6-2 after pitching a career-high 8.0 innings. Hall allowed one run on six hits, struck out four, and issued no walks. Zach Bates closed the game with a perfect ninth inning, earning his sixth save for the season.

At the plate, Cameron Chee-Aloy and Vytas Valincius contributed key performances. Chee-Aloy went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Valincius added a 2-for-4 effort, driving in one run.

The game started with Hall retiring the first side using only six pitches. Illinois took an early lead when Valincius drove home Nick Groves. Hall continued his dominance, preventing Purdue from scoring until the sixth inning, maintaining Illinois's momentum with a series of decisive plays. The Illini also benefitted from strong offensive efforts, particularly from Chee-Aloy, who extended Illinois's lead with a seventh-inning RBI single.

The Illini's win secures a chance for a sweep against Purdue, with their next game set for 1 p.m. CT.

Key statistics from the game include:

- Cameron Chee-Aloy marked his second three-hit game of the season, extending his hitting streak to five games.

- Vytas Valincius leads Illinois with 50 RBIs this season.

- Jack Zebig continued his on-base streak to 35 games.

- Hall recorded his fourth quality start of the season, maintaining a 1.03 ERA over his last four starts.

- Bates has allowed just one earned run in his last 12.1 innings, spanning nine games.

Illinois has now won 11 consecutive games against Purdue, and in this match, out-hit Purdue 10-6. Every Illinois starter reached base, and Chee-Aloy added two stolen bases.

The victory gives Illinois an improved record of 25-15 overall and 12-8 in conference play.