April 26, 2002

Box Score

Champaign, Ill. - The University of Illinois baseball team dropped game one of its Big Ten Conference series to Northwestern, 9-2, this evening at Illinois Field. With the loss Illinois dropped to 22-11 overall and 7-9 in conference while Northwestern improved to 16-19 overall and 7-9 in Big Ten play.

Illinois managed only six hits and two runs in the first eight innings off NU starter Zach Schara, who improved to 3-2 after striking out seven in eight innings. He shut out the Illini offense until the eighth when Brian Raymond collected a two-out walk and scored on Brandon Cashman's first triple of the season. Cashman then scored Illinois' only other run when Andy Schutzenhofer followed Cashman's triple with a single to left.

Northwestern built its lead off Illini ace Andy Dickinson, who threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out five in dropping to 8-2 on the year. After striking out four and not allowing a runner past first base in the first three innings, the Wildcats began to solve Dickinson in the fourth, collecting three runs, including two on centerfielder David Gresky's third home run of the season, in the frame.

NU added two more in both the fifth and sixth to chase Dickinson in favor of Jimmy Conroy, who got out of the sixth without allowing further damage. Conroy gave way to Brian Blomquist in the seventh, and Blomquist allowed two runs on three hits in two innings of work before Joe Ziemba came in to throw a one-two-three ninth inning.

Offensively, Illinois was paced by Cashman and Schutzenhofer who had a pair of hits apiece.

Illinois and Northwestern resume their series Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for 4:05 p.m. Sunday's series finale will begin at 1:05 p.m.