May 13, 2002

Box Score

Champaign, Ill. - Illinois swept a doubleheader from Blackburn College by 4-0 and 6-1 scores at Illinois Field this afternoon. With the wins Illinois improves to 31-14 overall while Blackburn falls to 26-12 overall.

Freshman Jimmy Conroy got his first career start in the first game of the doubleheader and responded with a five-hit shutout to pick up the 4-0 win. After playing 3 1/2 scoreless innings, Andy Schutzenhofer led off the bottom of the fourth wtih a double, went to third on a fly ball off the bat of Luke Simmons and scored on a wild pitch to give Illinois a 1-0 lead. It increased to 2-0 when Joe Parenti led off the bottom of the fifth with a double of his own and scored when Vince DiMaria followed him with yet another double. The score increased to the final 4-0 mark when Patrick Arlis hit a home run, his seventh of the year, over the right-centerfield wall in the sixth inning.

Conroy (2-0) earned the win after walking one and striking out two. Blackburn starter Tony Etnier suffered the loss after allowing two runs on six hits in five innings of work.

In the second game, Brian Blomquist got the start for Illinois and followed up fellow freshman Conroy's effort, throwing five innings and allowing one run on two hits while walking two and striking out three to improve to 2-0 on the year.

Blomquist got offensive support early as Illinois put up three runs in the bottom of the first inning when Pat Flynn led off with a triple and scored on a Simmons single after Schutzenhofer walked. Schutzenhofer then came home on an RBI fielders choice from Arlis, and Arlis closed the scoring in the inning when he came home off a Parenti double.

After Blackburn plated a run in the top of the second, Illinois responded with a single run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth to open the 6-1 final margin of victory. Blomquist got the win while James Morris threw two innings of scoreless relief. Blackburn starter Craig Courthwright suffered the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in four innings of work.

Illinois returns to action Tuesday with a 1 p.m. contest before traveling to Bradley Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game. That game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. but has been moved to 5 p.m.