May 13, 2000

Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The University of Illinois baseball team split a doubleheader with Indiana University this afternoon on the campus of Indiana University. Illinois dropped game one, 5-4, but rebounded to take game two, 9-3. Illinois is now 35-19 overall and 16-10 in the Big Ten while Indiana is 28-26 overall and 8-18 in conference play.

Illinois lost game one, 5-4, as ace Jason Anderson suffered only his fifth career loss. Anderson, who threw a complete game and allowed five runs on eight hits, fell to 11-3 on the year and 5-2 in conference. Tom Willerer (1-1) got the win for the Hoosiers as he threw 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. Brad Edwards threw a scoreless 2 1/3 innings to pick up his first save of the year.

The only offense Illinois could muster in game one came in the four-run fifth inning. After Indiana plated three in the bottom of the fourth, left fielder Rob Fischer led off the Illini half of the inning with a towering home run to left. Following an out, Jeff Gertz doubled to right, and he came home on a Chris Basak single one out later. Then, with two outs and two runs in, Brady Ballard sent a ball to the centerfield wall and he never slowed around the base paths, coming home on a two-run, inside the park home run.

Indiana came back to score two in the sixth to eke out the one-run win.

Illinois got another complete game effort from its starting pitcher in game two, as senior Joe Sprengard (4-3) went seven complete, allowing only three runs on four hits, to pick up the win, his fourth of the season and third in Big Ten play.

He got plenty of help offensively. Illinois got on the board right away in the top of the first, as leadoff man Creston Whitaker singled and came home on a groundout from Rob Fischer. Illinois would add runs in the third on a Luke Simmons solo home run and two in the fourth as Simmons and Whitaker knocked in D.J. Svihlik and Jeff Gertz who had reached base on a walk and single. Illinois added three in the sixth, two on a throwing error from Hoosier shortstop Eric Blakeley and one in the seventh when Ryan Lawrence scored on a double steal.

Hoosier starter David Ferris (7-4) took the loss after throwing four innings and allowing four runs on seven hits.

Illinois and Indiana meet again Sunday in a doubleheader at Sembower Field. Illinois can finish anywhere from second to fifth place in the Big Ten and is playing for seeding in the postseason tournament. Minnesota, by virtue of a combination of Illinois and Penn State losses, clinched the regular season title today.