April 8, 2001

Box Score

Columbus, Ohio - The University of Illinois Baseball team (16-15/5-6 Big Ten) defeated Ohio State, 9-6, this afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University to salvage one game of its four-game weekend series.

Illinois fell behing 2-0 after seven innings and it wasn't looking good as OSU freshman starter Josh Newman allowed only four hits in the first seven innings as he cruised through the Illini line-up. But as they had all weekend the Illini fought back, tagging Newman and two OSU relievers for six runs in the top of the eighth inning to claim a 6-2 lead. Big shots of the inning included a two-run double off the bat of Andy Schutzenhofer that gave Illinois the lead and a two-run home run, his eighth of the season, off the bat of Rob Fischer.

But Illini starter Josh Gold, who allowed only two runs through the first seven innings, loaded the bases with one out in the Buckeye eighth and was pulled for reliever Reilly Smith, who picked up one quick out before surrendering a game-tying grand slam to OSU leadoff man Mike Harris.

Illinois fought back again in the ninth with the score knotted at six. Second baseman Brian Raymond led off with an infield single, and T.F. Meagher picked up a single of his own one out later to give Schutzenhofer runners on first and second with one out. Schutzenhofer promptly pushed a single to left, scoring Raymond in what was the eventual winning run. Fischer and Luke Simmons followed Schutzenhofer with RBI singles of their own, and Illinois took a 9-6 lead into the Buckeye ninth.

Smith (3-3) retired the Buckeyes in order in the ninth to pick up the win.