After two innings Friday, it looked like Illinois was picking up where it left off after sweeping Northwestern last year.

The Fighting Illini, who outscored the Wildcats 59-18 in last year’s series, jumped to a 10-1 lead on the strength of four extra-base hits, including a home run by first baseman Dave Schultz.

But this year the Cats had an answer.

“It was a weird day, ” first baseman Pat McMahon said. “The ball just seemed huge for everyone. It was an easy day to hit, for whatever reason. So we knew we were capable of coming back the whole time.”

The team battled back and scored five runs in the eighth inning to take the game, 19-18.

NU (12-19, 9-3 Big Ten) swept the Saturday doubleheader before losing on Sunday to win the series 3-1 and take a one-game lead in the Big Ten.

After starting the season 3-15, the Cats regrouped for the conference season and are off to their best start in coach Paul Stevens’ 19 years at the helm.

NU’s first 18 games were on the road and included opponents like No.19 Kentucky and Pepperdine, who was ranked No. 22 until this week.

“We played a real tough pre-conference schedule and it obviously got us ready to gear up for the Big Ten,” catcher Geoff Dietz said. “We’re not worried about any first-place national ranking right now; we’re just worried about winning the Big Ten.”

The teams combined for 37 runs and 46 hits in Friday’s offensive outpouring.

With his RBI double in the five-run eighth, McMahon became only the third NU player since 1993 to hit for the cycle.

“Once I saw the ball go into the corner, the thought crossed my mind that if I got to second I had the cycle,” McMahon said. “I never really thought I would ever hit for the cycle because I’m not exactly the fastest person.”

McMahon was 5-for-6 on the game, with two home runs and six RBI. The senior, who was hitting .190 going into conference play, was 10-for-18 on the series and raised his average to .298.

The only NU pitcher to escape Friday’s game without giving up a run was reliever Dan Schwartz. He entered the game in the eighth, with the team trailing 18-14, and pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win.

“I was just trying to keep the ball down,” he said. “The wind was blowing out really badly and if you got a fly ball it was pretty much going out of the park.”

Schwartz also saw action in the second game on Saturday. He pitched 6.1 innings in relief of George Kontos in the twelve-inning game.

After giving up the tying runs in the bottom of the seventh, Schwartz scattered five hits over the next five innings and struck out centerfielder Ryan Snowden to end the game.

Dietz, who caught 19 innings on Saturday, delivered the game-winning double for the Cats in the top of the twelfth inning.

“When you’re tired you’re not thinking a lot because your whole body is tired,” he said. “I guess it was a good thing I didn’t have all the negative thoughts in my mind.”

NU’s two one-run victories over Illinois gave it a 9-7 record in one- and two-run games. Six of the team’s nine conference wins have been by one or two runs.

With almost half of the Big Ten season behind them, the Cats have five fewer conference victories than they totaled last year when they finished seventh.

McMahon said the wins over Illinois had special significance.

“They beat up on us pretty good last year,” he said. “It felt good to come in and take three of four.”

Reach David Morrison at [email protected].