April 26, 2008

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois won its suspended game with Penn State, 20-11, scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth after play resumed, but the Nittany Lions bounced back to take both games of the doubleheader by scores of 16-5 and 10-7. In the resumed game, third baseman John Schlichter broke the Big Ten record for triples in a game by lacing his third three-bagger of the game and finished with five RBIs. In the doubleheader, Kyle Hudson reached base all six times he went to the plate, Ryan Hastings knocked a two-run home run in game two and freshman Pete Cappetta blasted a three-run homer - the first of his career - in game one.

"Penn State pitched much better than we did today, and when that happens you won't win many games," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "We were routinely behind in counts and started elevating pitches."

In the conclusion of the suspended game, catcher Aaron Johnson continued the hit parade that Illinois started on Friday, lacing a double to left-center, which was followed by Hastings being hit by a pitch. DH Daniel Webb drove in Johnson with a base hit and Schlichter tripled to right field, scoring two runs. Stockwell knocked him in with a single to put the Illini up 20-11. Mike Sterk continued the relief appearance he started the night before, working a scoreless ninth inning to seal the victory.

The teams then started the regularly scheduled doubleheader with the Orange and Blue putting up a run in the first inning. Center fielder Kyle Hudson dropped a lead-off double down the left-field line and moved to third on a groundout. Shortstop Brandon Wikoff walked and Johnson drove in Hudson with a single for a 1-0 lead.

But Penn State scored two in the second and two in the fourth as Nittany Lion starter Mike Wanamaker started to get comfortable, facing just one hitter more than the minimum in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. PSU then touched Illini starter Aaron Martin for six runs in the fifth on six hits - including two home runs - and scored five runs on six hits in the sixth off reliever Wes Braun for a 13-1 lead.

The Illini scored a run in the sixth when Hudson reached second on an error by the left fielder and moved to third on second baseman Joe Bonadonna's single off the pitcher's glove. One out later, pinch hitter Chris Montgomery drove in Hudson with a base hit.

In the seventh, the Illini started to mount a rally with one out when left fielder Casey McMurray singled and moved to second on a walk by center fielder Craig Lutes. One out later, Cappetta blasted a 1-0 pitch to left-center for his first career home run, a three-run job that brought the Illini within 16-5. But a groundout ended the rally and the Orange and Blue dropped game one.

In the nightcap, Illinois fell behind when PSU scored a run in the first on a hit batter, a stolen base, a groundout and a sacrifice fly. The Nittany Lions used a walk and two doubles two score two more in the second off starter Phil Haig. But Haig settled down, striking out the first two hitters he faced in the third and tallying another whiff in the fourth.

The Illini pushed across two runs in the bottom of the fourth when Johnson laced a one-out double to left and Hastings blasted the first pitch he saw from PSU starter T.J. Macy deep to right-center for his fourth homer of the year, bringing the Orange and Blue within 4-2.

But the Lions added four in the fifth inning, finishing Haig's outing with the Illini trailing 8-2. Illinois got two more runs in the bottom half when McMurray led off with a base hit and stole second. Hudson walked and Bonadonna singled through the right side to score McMurray and move Hudson to third. Bonadonna stole second and Hudson scored on Wikoff's sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 8-4.

PSU scored two more in the sixth off reliever Nick Chmielewski, who allowed just two hits but walked two batters. The big blow was a two-run double with two outs that gave the Lions a 10-4 advantage. The Illini looked to rally in the bottom of the seventh as Johnson laced a lead-off single and Hastings' base hit through the right side moved him to third. Webb hit into a fielder's choice, but the throw from the second baseman to the shortstop was off-line, leaving Hastings safe at second. Schlichter reached on an error by the third baseman that loaded the bases and DH Mike Giller drove in Hastings with a fielder's choice grounder on which Schlichter was retired. McMurray lifted a sacrifice fly to left that drove in Webb, but Lutes grounded out to end the rally and the game with Illinois behind, 10-7.

In the doubleheader, Johnson was 4-for-5 with a double, a walk and two runs and threw out 3-of-4 would-be base-stealers. Giller went 3-for-5 with an RBI and Hastings was 3-for-6 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs. Illinois also returned to its slick-fielding ways, not committing an error in 15 innings on Saturday.

Up Next: Illinois and Penn State will finish the series with a 12:05 p.m. start on Sunday as the Illini look to split the series with the Nittany Lions.