April 25, 2006

Box Score

CHARLESTON, Ill. - Illinois left 12 runners on base, eight in scoring position, as it lost 10-6 to Eastern Illinois in front of 177 fans at Coaches Stadium. Ryan Snowden went 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs, but the middle of the Illini order was 2-for-14 as Illinois falls to 20-18 on the season.

"We had great scoring opportunities in four of the first five innings and every time we either didn't move runners or didn't make contact with less than two outs," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said. "Our hitters had opportunities to take the game over early and they did a poor job of that."

The Illini had runners on first and second with no outs in the first but were unable to score as the Panthers turned a double play to get out of the jam. After EIU scored a run in the bottom of the frame, the Illini loaded the bases with no outs in the second but managed only a run. Lars Davis led off with a single and Ryan Hastings walked. Joe Bonadonna walked to load the bases and Trevor Huisinga drove in a run with his 4-6 fielder's choice. Huisinga stole second and, one out later, Ryan Snowden walked to reload the bags. But Shawn Roof grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning tied 1-1.

Hastings led off the fourth with a double and Bonadonna singled. Bonadonna advanced on Huisinga's groundout and Hudson walked to load the bases with only one out. Snowden drove in Hastings with an infield hit, but Bonadonna was put out at home on Roof's 5-2 fielder's choice and Dave Schultz struck out to keep the Illini lead to just 2-1.

That's when the Panthers heated up, scoring three runs off Illini starter Aaron Martin in the bottom of the fourth. Illinois got a run back in the fifth, despite Chase Kliment being called out on an appeal at first after an apparent double. Davis was hit by a pitch and Hastings walked. One out later, Huisinga doubled home Davis, but that was all the Illini could muster in cutting the deficit to 4-3.

The floodgates opened in the fifth when Illinois reliever Omar Kadir struggled with his control, giving up three walks, a bunt single and a sacrifice fly to account for four of EIU's six runs in the frame as the Panthers extended their lead to 10-3. The Illini scratched out a run in the sixth and added two more in the eighth, but it wasn't enough in a 10-6 loss.

Roof was 2-for-5 with a run, Davis scored twice and Huisinga drove in a pair. Hastings was 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and a run.

Up Next: Illinois travels to Minneapolis to face Minnesota in a four-game Big Ten series at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. It will be the first time the Illini have played in the Metrodome since 1995.