April 20, 2002

Box Score

Minneapolis, Minn. - The Illinois Baseball team split a doubleheader with Minnesota this afternoon on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Illinois won the first game, 7-5, before dropping the nightcap 9-1. Illinois now stands at 21-10 overall and 7-8 in the Big Ten while Minnesota is 16-20 overall and 8-6 in conference play.

Patrick Arlis was the hero of game one, as the Illini catcher hit a three-run home run, his fourth of the season, in the top of the sixth inning to give Illinois a 7-5 lead. After two quick outs in the sixth, Brandon Cashman singled and Andy Schutzenhofer walked before Arlis sent his home run over the right field wall.

Illinois set up Arlis' heroics by rallying from an early 5-0 deficit. Facing a trio of Minnesota relievers after starter Josh Krogman left the game in the second with an injury, Illinois got four runs in the fourth inning off a slew of singles, walks and one Minnesota error to cut the Gopher lead to one.

The Illini fell behind when starter Ted Rowe gave up five runs in the first three innings before being pulled in favor of Josh Gold. Gold would hold the Gophers from there, allowing only one hit and no runs in four innings of work to get the game to closer Dave Mazurek. Mazurek, who had thrown two innings for a save the night before, came in for the bottom of the seventh inning and despite giving up two hits held Minnesota scoreless for his sixth save of the season. Gold got the win, improving to 2-1 on the year.

Illinois fell behind again in the second game, as Minnesota put up a single run in the first before tagging starter Josh Lane and reliever Reilly Smith for five runs in the second inning for a 6-0 lead. The big blow of the second was a grand slam home run off the bat of Gopher second baseman Luke Appert. Appert then made it an 8-0 Gopher lead when he hit his second-straight home run, this one a two-run home run, in the fourth inning, a hit that chased Smith in favor of freshman Brian Blomquist.

Illinois got on the board for the first time in the fifth off Minnesota starter C.J. Woodrow. Joe Parenti followed a Luke Simmons leadoff walk with a double to the left-centerfield gap that scored Simmons from first. But that was all the Illini would get on the day off Woodrow, as the Golden Gopher junior improved to 4-4 on the year with the complete game effort. Lane, who allowed four runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings of work, suffered the loss to fall to 2-3 on the year.

Illinois and Minnesota will conclude their four-game series Sunday with a single game scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

Game Notes 1. Illini closer Dave Mazurek collected his sixth save of the season in game one, placing him ninth by himself on Illinois' single season saves list and also ninth on the Illini career saves list.