Against the Big Ten's best pitching staff, a third consecutive game without a quality start put Ohio State in an insurmountable hole.
The Buckeyes found them in a familiar hole, and in the end a familiar result.
Unable to capitalize on early opportunities, a quick 2-0 lead was squandered as Illinois roughed up another Buckeye starter before one more Illini left-hander shut down the Ohio State offense, Illinois scoring six unanswered runs en route to a 6-2 win in the series finale.
Sweeping the weekend, Illinois runs its school-record winning streak to 21 games, improving to 40-6-1 on the season, 16-1 in the Big Ten.