May 7, 2006

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois scored first, but Michigan used four home runs - including two by first baseman Nate Recknagel - to spoil the Illini's Senior Day with a 9-6 Wolverine win in front of 1,022 fans at Illinois Field. Kyle Hudson went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run, and Shawn Roof was 3-for-5 with a run as Illinois split the series with Michigan, keeping alive the Illini's streak of not losing a series to the Wolverines since 1991.

The Illini opened the scoring with a run in the second inning. Second baseman Ryan Hastings was hit by a pitch and DH Dominic Altobelli singled through the right side. Right-fielder Trevor Huisinga reached on a fielding error by the third baseman that loaded the bases and Hastings scored on third baseman Joe Bonadonna's fielder's choice to put Illinois up 1-0.

Michigan answered with a run in the second, but the Illini tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning. Centerfielder Kyle Hudson led off with a single and, one out later, shortstop Shawn Roof singled through the right side. First baseman Mike Rohde's double to left-center scored Hudson and catcher Lars Davis' sacrifice fly drove in Roof to make the Illini lead 3-1.

But the Wolverines put up a four-spot in the fifth when DH Adam Abraham smacked an 0-1 offering from reliever Jake Stewart over the fence in left for a grand slam, giving Michigan a 6-3 lead.

The Illini scored one in the bottom of the fifth when left-fielder Ryan Snowden led off with a single, Roof followed with a base hit and Rohde dropped a single into right field to load the bases. One out later, Hastings drove in Snowden with a base hit through the right side, cutting the Michigan lead to 6-4. But Recknagel, who was hitting clean-up, smashed a two-run homer to left field in the sixth, making the Michigan margin 8-4.

Illinois added a run in the seventh when Rohde reached on a two-base error by the left-fielder and moved to third on Davis' groundout before scoring on Altobelli's single through the left side, but Michigan tacked on a run in the eighth on a solo homer by Recknagel. Davis cut the lead with a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth and Hastings singled with one out, but he never made it past first base as Illinois dropped a 9-6 decision.

Hastings was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run, and Altobelli responded well to the spot start, going 2-for-5 with an RBI. Bonadonna went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Davis was 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Rohde also went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run.

For the home season, Illinois welcomed 13,267 fans to Illinois Field, third-best all-time behind attendance totals from 2005 and 1998. However, this season's average was the best in Illinois Field history, as the Illini averaged 884 fans per date in the 15-date home schedule.