The Hilltoppers (9-6) exploded with five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead and stayed in front the rest of the way to rebound from a 9-5 loss Saturday, their first home defeat of the season.
WKU left fielder Jared Andreoli added two RBIs, and right fielder Ryan Hutchison and designated hitter Justin Hageman each had an RBI.
Rice finished 2-for-2 with three walks and a sacrifice fly, while Robbins went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a single.
Offensively, WKU tallied 10 runs or more for the fifth game this season and reached double digits in hits for the 11th time. The team finished the three-game series with a .292 batting average, six doubles and 18 RBIs.
Hilltoppers fifth-year senior Brian Edelen (2-0) limited Illinois to one run on three hits in three innings of relief. Redshirt junior Rye Davis picked up his second save of the season, holding Illinois to one hit with two strikeouts in 2-2/3 shutout innings after entering the game with a 7-5 lead and runners on the corners in the seventh.
Illinois (4-8) used seven different pitchers, with starter Corey Kimes (0-2) allowing five runs on four hits in three innings. The Fighting Illini pitching staff walked 12 WKU hitters while recording four strikeouts.
WKU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Andreoli stole third base and came around to score on a throwing error by Illinois catcher Adam Davis. Andreoli led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice.
Illinois knotted the score at 1-1 in the top of the second when Davis scored on a balk by Haydel after reaching on a double and moving to third on a wild pitch.
The Hilltoppers sent 10 batters to the plate in a five-run bottom of the fourth. The first six reached base, beginning with back-to-back doubles from third baseman Casey Dykes and Hageman. Rice then drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single, and Robbins later added an RBI single. Pinch runner Brandon Brian also came around to score on a wild pitch.
The Fighting Illini tallied a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by right fielder Davis Hendrickson to make the score 6-2.
WKU extended its lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Andreoli.
An RBI single by Illinois second baseman Justin Parr in the top of the sixth cut the WKU lead to 7-3.
The Fighting Illini added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to make the score 7-5. Hendrickson scored from third on a wild pitch and left fielder Casey McMurray later added an RBI single.
The Hilltoppers took a 10-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI triple by Andreoli, an RBI single by Rice and a bases-loaded walk by Robbins.
Rice, Hutchison and Robbins each added an RBI in the eighth inning to push the final score to 13-5.
Hilltoppers starting pitcher Taylor Haydel allowed one run on one hit in two innings with a pair of walks and a strikeout. Right-hander Phil Wetherell gave up three runs on six hits in 1-1/3 innings while striking out one.
WKU returns to action Tuesday with a 4 p.m. matchup against Belmont in Nashville, Tenn., before opening Sun Belt Conference play with a three-game home series starting Friday against Middle Tennessee.
