April 9, 2003

Box Score

Champaign, Ill. - The University of Illinois baseball team defeated MacMurray College, 9-4, this evening at Illinois Field to improve to 15-10 on the year while MacMurray fell to 2-14 overall.

MacMurray jumped on the board first in the top of the second inning, plating a pair of runs, one unearned, off Illini starter Tim Gorski.

Illinois grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the second. Dusty Bensko and Chris Robinson reached on back-to-back one-out walks, and Vince DiMaria followed them with a double to left that plated Bensko. Right fielder Joe Parenti then gave Illinois a 3-2 lead with a two-RBI single to right.

The lead grew to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth. DiMaria led off with a bunt single, and T.F. Meagher doubled with one out, scoring DiMaria. A two-out single off the bat of shortstop Eric Eymann plated Meagher, and Eymann gave Illinois a 6-2 lead when he scored on a Trevor Frederickson single.

The Illini added a single run in the bottom of the sixth. Eymann beat out a one-out infield single, and scored three batters later when Bensko sent a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center. The Illini added more in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch hitters Trevor Huisinga and Brian Raymond led off with a single and walk, and Huisinga came in on an RBI single from Cashman. Raymond then opened a 9-2 lead when he scored when Brendon Cody reached on an error.

Jeff Paarlberg earned the win for Illinois, improving to 1-0 on the year after throwing a scoreless two innings of relief. MacMurray starter Jon Campbell suffered the loss, falling to 1-2 on the year, after allowing six runs on eight hits in four innings of work.

Illinois returns to action this weekend with a four-game Big Ten series scheduled at Michigan Friday-Sunday.