Champaign, Ill. - A frigid day at Illinois Field that featured two snow delays eventually resulted in a split doubleheader for the Illini baseball team in its Big Ten season opener. After dropping the first game 4-0, Illinois rebounded for a 9-2 win in the nightcap. Illinois is now 11-4 on the year and 1-1 in Big Ten play while Indiana is 15-4 overall and also 1-1 in the Big Ten.

After being shutout in game one, the Illini bats came alive in the second game of the day. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Illinois loaded the bases with one out for freshman shortstop Eric Eymann, who singled to left to score Drew Davidson, who had led off the inning with a single of his own. T.F. Meagher followed Eymann with a single up the middle that gave Illinois a 3-1 lead when Sean Patrick and Chad Frk both came home to score. Illinois made it 4-1 on the strength of a Trevor Frederickson bases loaded walk before the inning ended after the Illini had sent 10 batters to the plate.

Illinois added more in the bottom of the fourth. Brandon Cashman and Andy Schutzenhofer reached back-to-back on a one-out walk and single, and both advanced a base on a throwing errpor by Indiana reliever Chris Hynes. Cashman then scord to give Illinois a 5-1 lead on a Trevor Frederickson single, and Schutzenhofer opened up the 6-1 lead when he scored on a Drew Davidson sacrifice fly to right.

The bottom of the sixth inning saw more runs come across the plate as four-straight hits, including a Brandon Cashman double off the wall, started the inning. By the time the inning was over Illinois had added three runs for a 9-1 lead heading into the seventh.

Indiana made the final score 9-2 when pinch hitter Ryan Donley hit his first home run of the season off Reilly Smith in the top of the seventh.

Illinois suffered an early scare in the second game, as starting pitcher Josh Lane was injured and forced to leave the game with only two outs in the first inning. But freshman Andy Sigerich came in in relief of Lane and threw 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing only one run, to pick up the win and improve to 1-0 on the year. Reilly Smith relieved Sigerich in the fourth and finished the game, throwing four innings and allowing one run on one hit to pick up the first save of his career.

Game one was a pitchers dual through six innings. Illinois starter Ted Rowe and IU's Jacob Cary each threw five innings of shutout baseball before IU broke through with three runs in the top of the sixth inning.

With one out in the inning, Rowe walked Corby Heckman and hit Vasili Spanos to put runners on first and second. Rightfielder Kevin Mahar followed with a single to left that plated Heckman with the first run of the game moved Spanos to second. A wild pitch moved Spanos to third, and he came in when Nick Evans followed with a sac fly to left. IU closed out its scoring when shortstop Seth Bynum singled to left, plating Mahar and giving Indiana a 3-0 lead.

IU added an insurance run in the seventh when Mark Calkins reached on an error, stole second and came home on an RBI single off the bat of Heckman.

Rowe threw seven complete innings but saw his record drop to 2-2 after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. Cary improved to 5-0 on the year after throwing a seven inning shutout, allowing five hits while walking one and striking out three.

Illinois and Indiana continue the Big Ten series with a doubleheader Sunday at Illinois Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.