May 17, 2003

Box Score

Champaign, Ill. - The University of Illinois baseball team jumped on Iowa early and often in game two of its Saturday doubleheader, coming away with a 9-3 win Saturday evening at Illinois Field. The win improved Illinois' overall record to 26-26 and 11-19 in the Big Ten while Iowa dropped to 18-28 overall and 10-20 in Conference play.

Like in game one, Illinois jumped on the board right away in the first inning. Eric Eymann led off with a single, Trevor Huisinga followed with a walk and Andy Schutzenhofer got the Illini on the board with an RBI single that plated Eymann. Huisinga gave Illinois a 2-0 lead when he scampered home on a double play ball that followed Schutzenhofer's single.

Iowa came right back and got it all back in the second. A pair of Illini errors allowed a one-out walk and following single to come around and score.

But Illinois answered again in the third. Brian Raymond led off with a walk and Eric Eymann followed with a single, and both scored when, after Andy Schutzenhofer was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Chad Frk singled to right. Drew Davidson followed Frk with a double to right that plated Schutzenhofer to give Illinois a 5-2 lead after three.

The Illini kept adding on to the lead in the fourth. Sean Patrick doubled with one out, and Raymond laced an RBI single to right behind him to plate Patrick with the sixth run of the day. After Eymann followed with a double of his own to put runners at second and third, Dusty Bensko and Andy Schutzenhofer hit back-to-back run scoring singles that plated Raymond and Eymann and gave Illinois an 8-2 lead.

Iowa added a third run in the sixth inning when Kyle Thousand tripled to lead off the inning and scored when Jeff Gremley followed with a deep sac fly to center.

Illinois added a single run in the bottom of the sixth. Sean Patrick led off with a walk and Ted Rowe pinch ran for him, eventually scoring when Eric Eymann laced a one-out single to left to bring Rowe in from second.

Illini starter Joe Ziemba went the distance for the Illini for the sixth time this season, improving to 7-2 on the year and 6-2 against Big Ten competition. Iowa starter Cory Hollenhorst suffered the loss, falling to 2-5 on the year after allowing eight runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings of work.

Illinois and Iowa wrap up their four-game Big Ten series with a single nine inning affair Sunday beginning at 1:05 p.m. The eight seniors in the Illini Class of 2003 will be honored prior to first pitch.