Huskers Cruise Past Illinois in 11-2 Win on Saturday

Nebraska scored in six consecutive innings at Illinois on Saturday, as the Huskers cruised to an 11-2 win over the Illini at Illinois Field in Champaign, Ill.

Nebraska (20-28, 8-12 Big Ten) totaled 11 runs on 12 hits, while the Illini (27-20, 13-7 Big Ten) had two runs on nine hits.

Emmett Olson improved to 3-3 on the season after allowing two runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings. Olson struck out six Illinois batters and only allowed one walk. Koty Frank pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, while Corbin Hawkins threw the final inning for the Big Red.

Griffin Everitt had a team-high three hits, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Max Anderson went 2-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBI and two runs. Cam Chick was 2-for-5 with a two-run homer, while Garrett Anglim had a 2-for-4 day with a double and two runs. Colby Gomes was 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two RBI and a run scored.

The Huskers jumped out to a two-run lead in the third, beginning a string of six consecutive innings with at least one run on Saturday for the Big Red. Chick was plunked a team-high 16th time on the season, while Anderson lifted 401-foot two-run homer to center.

Olson worked around a leadoff single in the home half of the third to blank the Illini to keep it a 2-0 game after three innings.

Gomes led off the fourth by blasting a 1-0 pitch to left center for his fifth home run on the year to build the Husker lead to 3-0.

Back-to-back one-out singles by Anglim and Everitt put runners on first and third, before Anderson laced a two-RBI double in the gap in left center, growing the lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning.

Olson retired the side in the bottom of the fifth to keep Illinois off the board for the fifth consecutive inning.

The Nebraska offense continued its scoring production in the sixth, as Chick drilled a 414-foot two-run shot to right, extending the Husker lead to 7-0.

Illinois began the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles and plated its first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to center.

The two teams exchanged one run each in the seventh, with the Huskers scoring on a balk and the Illini scoring their final run of the game on an RBI double down the left field line.

Nebraska added three runs on three hits in the eighth, expanding its lead to 11-2. Anglim opened the inning with a double to left, while Everitt drove him home with an RBI single up the middle. Anderson reached on a fielder’s choice and came around to score on Gomes’ sacrifice fly, before Sartori scored the Big Red’s final run of the game on a wild pitch after ripping a double down the left field line.

Hawkins allowed a leadoff single in the ninth and drew a double play and a strikeout in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the nine-run victory for the Huskers.

The two teams wrap up the series tomorrow, with the rubber game set for 2 p.m. at Illinois Field on ESPN2.