May 11, 2003

Box Score

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The bats never got clicking for the Illinois baseball team this weekend as they scored a total of six runs over the four-game series and dropped three of four games to Penn State, including a 2-0 loss on Sunday afternoon in State College, Pa.

Reilly Smith got the start for the Illini and pitched well enough to earn the win, but the offense never got on track as Penn State's Jared Hopewell held the Illini to just five hits in five and one-third innings of work. Clayton Hamilton came on in the sixth in relief of Hopewell, and slammed the door shut, despite walking two runners after being put in the game. Hamilton earned the save.

Illinois' best chance to score came in the sixth thanks to three walks by Nittany Lion pitching. After an Andy Schutzenhofer ground out led off the inning, a Chad Frk walk forced Penn State to the bullpen for Hamilton. Hamilton, who was making his first relief appearance of the season, got Brandon Cashman to fly out to right on his first pitch, before issuing two-out walks to Sean Patrick and Drew Davidson. The Illinois threat was smothered on the next batter however as Hamilton got Joe Parenti to fly to out to right to end the inning. Hamilton did not allow another Illinois hitter to reach base after the sixth.

"That was really the last chance we had to score in the ball game," head coach Itch Jones said. "They did a heck of a job stopping out hitters after that inning. I really thought it was a well pitched game on both sides and I thought our pitchers did a nice job all weekend. We just couldn't score any runs. Whenever we got runners into scoring position, we couldn't get a key hit. That was the difference this weekend."

Penn State got its first run in the third on a two-out homerun by Clint Eury. The only homer of the series, Eury's shot easily cleared the right-field fence to put PSU up 1-0. Prior to Eury's blast, Illinois got a 5-4-3 double play, which proved critical after Eury's plate appearance.

In fact, Eury was the Illini killer all weekend. The senior went 4-for-4 on Sunday and got three hits in the series-opener on Friday. He also got the save in Friday's 4-1 Penn State win.

Penn State's insurance run came in the fifth after right fielder Derrick Barr got a one-out single and was advanced to second on a two-out hit by Eury. Cleanup hitter Lance Thompson drove in Barr to put the Nittany Lions in front 2-0.

Illinois did manage five hits off Hopewell, but all were singles. Chad Frk was the only Illinois base runner allowed past second base as he reached third base in both the fourth and sixth innings.

Reilly Smith (2-2) got the loss in just his second start of the season for Illinois, who fell to 25-24 overall and 10-17 in Big Ten play, while Penn State all but secured their postseason future with the win and improved 23-24 overall and 15-13 in the Conference. Hopewell's win improved his record to 3-1.

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