March 20, 2005

Box Score

Bradenton, Fla. - Illinois fell behind early, battled back to tie the game, but fell 5-4 to Kent State on a walk-off home run in the Illini's second game of their annual spring trip. The loss was the Illini's second to KSU this season, as the Golden Flashes won 6-5 in Illinois' season opener at the N.I.A. Shootout in Rock Hill, S.C.

Senior shortstop Toby Gardenhire led the Illini, going 2-for-4 with two runs. Senior first baseman Dusty Bensko hit his second home run in as many days on the spring trip, belting another solo shot over the fence in right-center field. It is his fourth homer of the season, a team-high.

This game seemed eerily similar to the teams' first match-up as Kent State scored first, putting three runs up in the first inning in both contests. This time the Golden Flashes used two walks, a double, an Illinois error and a sacrifice fly to take a 3-0 lead.

"We got off to a slow start as they scored three runs in the first inning, but we did a good job of coming back and tying it up," Illinois coach Richard "Itch" Jones said.

The Illini responded with a run in the second as leftfielder Drew Davidson drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third as the catcher's throw skipped into center field. Davidson scored on the Kent State second baseman booted Shawn Roof's grounder to cut the Flashes' lead to 3-1.

Illinois cut into the lead again in the third as first baseman Dusty Bensko belted his second home run in as many games, smacking a 2-1 pitch to center and slicing the Flashes' lead to 3-2. The Illini tied the game 3-3 in the fifth when Kent State pitcher Jason Brunke walked the bases loaded and then pushed a run across with another base on balls. Shortstop Toby Gardenhire led off the inning with a single through the right side and moved to second on a sacrifice. Centerfielder Ryan Rogowski drew a walk and catcher Chris Robinson loaded the bases with another walk. One out later, Davidson drove Gardenhire in by drawing the third walk of the inning.

After the Flashes regained a 4-3 lead by scoring on a walk, a double and a groundout in the fifth, the Illini answered with a run of their own in the sixth. Gardenhire lined a two-out single to right and moved to second on right fielder Trevor Huisinga's walk. Rogowski drove him in with a base hit to center to tie the game 4-4.

Tied into the bottom of the ninth, Illini reliever Joel Barickman retired the first Kent State hitter but gave up a walk-off homer to Flashes' third baseman Andrew Davis on a 1-1 pitch.

The Illini managed only six hits but drew nine walks in the game. However, they left 11 men on base and never put more than two hits together in one inning.

"It's the same thing - we're getting very good pitching and not getting the timely hitting to drive in runs," Jones said. "The top of the order and the bottom of the order are getting on, but the middle of the order isn't doing a good job of driving them in."