CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A five-run inning from the Fighting Illini was too much to overcome as the Indiana State baseball team saw its five-game winning streak come to an end Friday night in Champaign, falling to Illinois, 6-4.
 
The Sycamores (12-10) held an early 2-0 lead thanks to an RBI double from Tony Rosselli who continued his hot-hitting, finishing just a home run away from the cycle. The Trees also added a run on a throwing error on a stolen bases, allowing Dominic Bifano to trot home from third.
 
The Illini (7-16) snapped their four-game skid thanks in part to a five-run fourth inning. Prior to the fourth, the UI was held hitless until Pat McInerney hit a solo home run to left to put the home squad on the board. That was when the next five Illini batters for the Illini reached base.
 
Ben Troike cleared the bases with a two-run triple down the right-field line to give Illinois its first lead of the night before Trent Hammond added a pair of runs on a bloop single to left.
 
Indiana State looked to make the comeback in the late innings, tallying runs in both the seventh and eighth as Bifano again scored on an error before Clay Dungan recorded his third home run of the season on a solo shot in the eighth to pull ISU within one.
 
The Illini took the momentum from the Sycamores in a marathon eighth inning after the Sycamore bullpen issued four walks to load the bases in the frame. The Illini scored just a one run as right-hander Jeremy McKinney came in and recorded a pair of strikeouts to stop the bleeding.
 
Junior Will Kincanon was charged with the loss, falling to 1-3 on the season. Kincanon had a masterful start to the game throwing just 19 pitches through two innings. He finished with three strikeouts but allowed five hits and three walks in 4.1 innings.
 
Evan Giles went two innings out of the bullpen, striking out two and allowing a run.
 
Rosselli paced the Trees at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple in the game. The triple marked the fifth of the season for the senior. Dungan was the only other Sycamore to record multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4. Bifano scored two runs for ISU after reaching base twice on a pair of walks.  
 
The Sycamores will return to action Saturday at 4 p.m. ET in game two of the series. Sophomore Tyler Ward will take the mound for Indiana State. Fans can listen to the action on Sycamore All-Access via GoSycamores.com with Brian Fritz on the call.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.