April 28, 2006

Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Illinois scored twice in the seventh inning to tie the game and plated the eventual winning run on a wild pitch in the eighth to defeat Minnesota 4-3 in front of 681 fans at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Kyle Hudson went 3-for-3 with a double and a run for the Illini, and Dave Schultz drove in a pair.

Lars Davis opened the eighth inning with a base hit to left-center and moved to second on Ryan Hastings' sacrifice. Joe Bonadonna beat out an infield single that moved Davis to third, but Davis was picked off third when Bonadonna tried to get hung up in a rundown that would potentially score Davis. Bonadonna ended up on second and moved to third on Kyle Hudson's infield hit. A pitch then got away from Gopher catcher Chris Herbert and bounced to the backstop. It ricocheted high off the padding and Herbert threw to pitcher Andy Peters at the plate, but Bonadonna slid in just under the tag to put the Illini up 4-3.

"We scored that run on sheer hustle," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said. "Joe got a good jump on a pitch that took a great defensive bounce off the fence and was able to slide in safely."

The Illini (21-18 overall, 8-9 in the Big Ten) win came despite Minnesota scoring first when it put a run on the board in the first inning without recording a hit. Lead-off hitter Matt Nohelty drew a walk, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead. The Illini evened the score when Mike Rohde smashed a 2-1 offering from Minnesota starter Cole DeVries above the Baggie in right field in the fourth inning.

The Gophers (21-18, 8-9) went back on top with a pair in the sixth when Illini starter Matt Whitmore gave up three hits and a walk in addition to an Illini error. But Illinois tied the game once again with two runs in the seventh. Hudson drew a lead-off walk and Snowden followed with another. Shawn Roof sacrificed the runners ahead one base and Dave Schultz shot a single through the right side of the infield that scored both runners to even the score 3-3.

Whitmore had a no-hitter through 4 1/3 and ended up pitching six innings while giving up three runs on four hits and five walks with five strikeouts. Brian Long threw two perfect innings of relief and Jake Toohey picked up his second save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning. Hastings was 2-for-2 with a triple, Rohde was 2-for-5 and Snowden was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run.

"Whitmore did a good job of keeping their offense quiet and that set the tone for the game," Hartleb said. "Long was outstanding and Toohey came in and got the job done in the ninth."

Up Next: The same two teams square off in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. They finish the series at 1 p.m. Sunday, a game that will be televised on Fox Sports North.