April 20, 2008

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS - Illinois notched its ninth comeback win of the season with a 9-7 victory in the nightcap of the doubleheader to win the series against Minnesota, taking three of four games. The Illini dropped Sunday's opener by a 4-3 score as the Orange and Blue improve to 21-14 overall, 9-7 in the Big Ten, and have tied the school record for Big Ten road wins in a season with all nine conference victories coming away from home.

"Our guys' attitudes are amazing because we never think we're going to lose a game, no matter the situation," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said. "We had good starting pitching in both games and we played very composed in the second game."

In the nightcap, Illinois jumped ahead early when second baseman Joe Bonadonna laced a lead-off double down the left-field line and moved to third on a wild pitch. DH Mike Giller drove in Bonadonna with a groundout for a 1-0 lead.

The Fighting Illini pushed across two more runs in the fifth when center fielder Craig Lutes drew a two-out walk and left fielder Casey McMurray was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch and Bonadonna knocked a single up the middle that scored the pair, making the Illini lead 3-0.

Minnesota got a run back in the fifth thanks to a pair of two-out singles followed by an error by third baseman Dominic Altobelli, cutting the margin to 3-1. In the eighth, Illinois pushed a run across when Altobelli reached on a fielder's choice grounder and moved to third on a bloop single down the left-field line by first baseman Ryan Hastings. Right fielder Daniel Webb brought him home with a sacrifice fly to left for a 4-1 lead.

But the Gophers took control in the eighth, chasing Illini starter Aaron Martin after a lead-off walk and two singles sandwiched around a fielder's choice ground ball. Martin was relieved by Mike Sterk, who gave up an RBI single to Minnesota third baseman Nate Hanson and a three-run homer to catcher Jeff DeSmidt that pushed Minnesota ahead, 6-4.

Illinois fought back, though, as Lutes led off the ninth with a walk and McMurray ripped a first-pitch single to right. Bonadonna sacrificed the runners up a base and Giller walked on four straight pitches to load the bases. Shortstop Brandon Wikoff drew a walk to force in a run and Altobelli hit what looked like a game-ending double-play ball. But Gopher second baseman Tom Steidl threw errantly to first on the relay, allowing Altobelli to move to second and permitting McMurray and Pete Cappeta, who pinch ran for Giller, to score and give the Illini a one-run lead. Hastings reached when shortstop Derek McCallum let a grounder go through his legs, which scored Altobelli. Nick Stockwell, who came in to play center in the eighth, singled to center to plate Hastings and give Illinois a 9-6 lead.

Ben Reeser came on in relief of Sterk with one out and two men on base in the bottom of the ninth and gave up an RBI single and a walk to the first two hitters he faced, but managed to induce a game-ending double play for his fifth save of the year as Illinois won, 9-6.

In the day's first game, Illinois got on the board first, scratching across a run in the third inning. Center fielder Kyle Hudson knocked a one-out single up the middle and Bonadonna laced a single off Hanson's glove. Both runners moved up on Wikoff's groundout and Altobelli drove in Hudson with an infield hit up the middle for a 1-0 lead.

But Minnesota pushed across two runs in the bottom half of the third, using three hits and a walk to grab a 2-1 advantage. Illinois fought back with a pair of two-out runs in the fifth to retake the lead, 3-2. Bonadonna reached on a bunt single and moved to second on a balk. Wikoff then drove him in with a bloop base hit to center and Altobelli laced a double down the left-field line that hooked just fair, bringing Wikoff around from first to score and put the Illini back ahead by a run. Gopher head coach John Anderson came out of the dugout to argue that Altobelli's hit was foul and was ejected from the game.

Minnesota managed to score a run in the sixth, though, chasing Illini starter Phil Haig with consecutive singles to start the inning. Ben Reeser entered the game and hit the first batter he faced, then coaxed a flyout from pinch hitter Eric Decker, which drove in a run, but the runner from second was thrown out trying to advance to third, and Reeser got a fly ball to center to end the inning with the score tied at 3.

The Gophers kept at it, starting the seventh inning with a lead-off base hit by center fielder Matt Nohelty. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and, after an intentional walk, came toward home on a game-winning single from DeSmidt. Nick Stockwell, who came into play center field when Kyle Hudson turned an ankle in the fifth, fired a strike to the plate, but Nohelty narrowly beat the throw to win the game, 4-3, for Minnesota.

Offensively, Bonadonna put together a string of seven consecutive hits across the two games, going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in game two and 3-for-4 in game one. Hastings was 2-for-7 on the day with an RBI. Altobelli, Lutes and McMurray each scored two runs in the nightcap. In the first game, Altobelli was 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the opener.

Up Next: Illinois returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Illinois State at 6:05 p.m., before welcoming Western Illinois to Illinois Field on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.