Feb. 24, 2002

Box Score

The University of Illinois baseball team won a thriller in the final game of its three-game series this afternoon at Edinburg Baseball Stadium, winning, 10-9, over Texas-Pan American. Illinois took its season-opening weekend series, two games to one, while UTPA fell to 2-9 on the year.

As it had all series, Illinois got on the board first, but it took until the fifth inning when right fielder Joe Parenti led off with a home run to left, his first of the season, off UTPA starter Justin Dowd. That hit sparked the offense, as Brandon Cashman, Brian Raymond and Drew Davidson proceeded to load the bases with one out, setting up T.F. Meagher, who sent a double down the left field line, scoring Cashman and Raymond. Andy Schutzenhofer followed with a sacrifice fly to center that plated Davidson, and Patrick Arlis followed that with a double to right that brought in Meagher to make the score 5-0 in favor of the Illini.

UTPA answered the rally in a big way in the bottom half of the fifth, touching up Illini starter Josh Gold and reliever Joe Ziemba for six runs on six hits to take a 6-5 lead. Gold finished his day having throwin four-plus innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out five.

Illinois reclaimed the lead in the sixth when, after Parenti led off with a walk, Cashman hit a home run over the left field wall, taking a 7-6 lead. That would chase Dowd from the game at the start of the seventh inning. Dowd finished his day having thrown six complete innings, allowing seven runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out four.

Meanwhile, Illinois had gone to the bullpen again, this time for sophomore transfer Ted Rowe. Pitching in relief of Ziemba, who gave up two runs on four hits in one-plus inning of work, Rowe cruised through two innings before getting into trouble in the eighth. After a lead off single, he got one out but allowed the tying run to score on a throwing error and then gave up a two-run home run, giving UTPA a 9-7 lead entering the ninth.

For the second day in a row Illinois staged a ninth-inning rally. This time Drew Davidson singled to right to open the inning and went to third on a Meagher single. Andy Schutzenhofer made the score 9-8 with a double to deep center that scored Davidson and left runners on second and third for the heart of the order. After Arlis popped out to the second baseman, UTPA intentionally walked Luke Simmons, bringing Parenti to the plate with one out. He struck out and left the game in Cashman's hands. The junior sent a ground rule double into the Illinois bullpen, giving Illinois the 10-9 lead it would bring to the bottom of the ninth.

Rowe came back to the mound for the bottom of the ninth and struck out the first batter before allowing a walk and double that left runners on second and third with one out. He got the next batter to pop out, and Illinois intentionally walked Bruce Kennedy to load the bases with two outs, setting up a force at every base with third baseman Matt Sisk coming to the plate. Sisk flew harmlessly to left for the third and final out.

Ted Rowe earned the win, improving to 1-0 on the year, while Weast suffered the loss to fall to 0-1. Offensively, Illinois was led by Davidson, who finished his day 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Cashman, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI. Meagher, Schutzenhofer and Parenti each added two RBI for the Illini.

Illinois returns to action next weekend with a trip to Lexington, Ky. The Illini are scheduled to play Miami Saturday at 11 a.m. CST, followed by two games against Kentucky, one at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and the second at 11 a.m. Sunday morning.

Game Notes: 1. Illinois players were hit by pitches three times Sunday, making it 15 times over the three-game series. 2. Parenti's home run was his first since the 2000 season after he missed all but seven games of the 2001 season with a broken foot. Cashman's homer was his first in an Illinois uniform. 3. Joe Ziemba made his first appearance since undergoing 'Tommy John' surgery on his throwing elbow in May of 2000. He was 2-0 as a freshman before being sidelined with the injury near the end of March of 2000, and he took a medical redshirt in 2001 while rehabbing from surgery.