March 21, 2004

Box Score

The University of Illinois baseball team rebounded from yesterday's extra inning loss and snapped its three-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over Winthrop this afternoon in Rock Hill, S.C. The win improves Illinois' record to 4-7 overall while Winthrop falls to 10-9.

For the second time in as many days Illinois struck first, this time in the top half of the third. Eric Eymann and Vince DiMaria led off with consecutive singles and Trevor Huisinga walked to load the bases for Ryan Hastings. Hastings laced a shot to the left field wall to score a pair of runs, and Huisinga came in for a 3-0 lead when Chad Frk followed Hastings with a textbook hit and run single to right.

Winthrop answered in the bottom of the third with a single run after Illini starter Jimmy Conroy walked the lead off batter to move the Illinois lead to 3-1. Winthrop added a pair of runs in bottom half of the fourth to tie the game at 3-3.

Illinois grabbed the lead back in the top of the sixth. J.R. Kyes led off with a single up the middle and scored all the way from first on a throwing error when Eymann legged out a one-out infield single.

Illinois added a little insurance in the top of the seventh inning when Chad Frk connected on his first home run of the year, this one a two-run shot to left, to give Illinois a 6-3 lead.

Illinois starter Jimmy Conroy earned the win, improving to 2-1 on the year, after allowing three runs on eight hits in six complete innings of work. He walked two and struck out three. Dusty Bensko came on the throw the final three innings, allowing no runs on two hits to pick up his first career save and the first save of the season for Illinois.

Winthrop starter Thomas Olejniczak suffered the loss, falling to 0-1, after allowing three runs (two earned) in 3 1/3 innings of work. He walked one and struck out three.

Illinois and Winthrop conclude their three-game series Monday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. eastern time, a change from the originally scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch due to forecasted frost in the Rock Hill area Monday night.