OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Freshman Evan Whiteaker pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings, while striking out a career-high six, and Indiana held off Illinois 4-3 on Tuesday in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Indiana (41-16), which has at least one win in nine of the last 10 conference tournament games, advance to the winners’ bracket to face No. 3 seed Iowa on Thursday. Seventh-seeded Illinois (25-26) plays No. 6 seed Michigan on Wednesday in the consolation bracket.
Whiteaker needed only four pitches to record three outs in the eighth inning before leaving with one out in the ninth.
Illinois, trailing 4-1, loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning. A throwing error led to two runs before Brayden Risedorph got Drake Westcott to fly out.
Devin Taylor, the Big Ten freshman of the year, gave Indiana a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning on a fielder’s choice. Taylor led off the eighth with a single and later scored on Josh Pyne’s ground out. Hunter Jessee made it 4-1 with a two-out single.
Illinois starter Jack Wenninger (6-4) allowed seven hits and two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
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