Last night, the Illinois Fighting Illini added another mark in their win column, returning to an overall winning record on a two-game win streak.
In the 10-2 dominant showing against the Bradley Braves, including 10 hits and 14 strikeouts for the Illini, one of the most improbable plays in baseball happened.
Illinois outfielder Nick Groves smacked a bouncing ball right back to Bradley's pitcher, who tossed it to third, but fellow Illinois OF Cole Crafton had already taken off.
Illinois's OF Cole Crafton scores out of a pickle
Stuck between the Bradley third baseman and catcher, Crafton was suddenly in a pickle, and his teammate, shortstop J.R. Nelson, was already arriving at third base.
It was home plate or nothing for Crafton, and as the Bradley defensive players tossed the ball back and forth, he was able to sneak around, scoring one of Illinois' 10 runs on the evening.
After the chaos was settled, the play was officially ruled as a fielder's choice, and all of the Illini remained on their bases, with Crafton heading back to the dugout with a run to his name.
Not exactly how @IlliniBaseball drew it up... but somehow, @cole_crafton scored on what was ruled as a fielder's choice 😅#Illini pic.twitter.com/JDKiO2f8P6
— Tristan Thomas (@TristanThomasTV) May 7, 2026
With the victory over Bradley, Illinois improved to 24-23 on the season, one that has been filled with lost series and a back-and-forth momentum for the Fighting Illini.
Also read: Illinois baseball superstar freshman receives high praise from Big Ten reporter
While Illinois can claim a semi-consistent winning record at home, going 14-7 when playing in Champaign, the Illini have gone just 10-14 against Big Ten opponents, truly struggling to find their footing in conference play.
Now, led by head coach Dan Hartleb, the Fighting Illini have just two regular-season series remaining: a three-game home series against the Northwestern Wildcats and a three-game series on the road against the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Big Ten Tournament is set to begin on Tuesday, May 19, and run through Sunday, May 24, with games taking place at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, NE. The tournament will be available on the Big Ten Network.
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