March 30, 2004

Box Score

Terre Haute, Ind. - The University of Illinois baseball team began the northern swing of its schedule on a high note, downing Indiana State 6-5 on a rainy and chilly Tuesday evening on the Indiana State campus. The win, highlighted by three clutch innings of relief from Jimmy Conroy, moves Illinois to 6-10 overall while Indiana State falls to 6-13 overall.

Illinois wasted little time in the rain and cold Tuesday, scoring a pair in the top half of the first for a quick 2-0 lead over Indiana State. Vince DiMaria reached on a lead off walk and scored the first run when Chad Frk sliced a one-out double to right, and Frk gave Illinois its 2-0 lead, scoring from second when Drew Davidson followed him with a single to left.

Indiana State used a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the first off starter Ted Rowe to tie the game at two.

Illinois reclaimed the lead in the top of the third. Frk smashed his second double in as many at bats, this one to the right field corner, to score Ryan Hastings all the way from first base to open a 3-2 lead. A two-out throwing error in the top of the fourth that allowed J.R. Kyes to scamper home from third on a ground ball gave Illinois a 4-2 lead.

The lead moved to 6-2 in the fifth when a two-out rally resulted in a pair of runs. Eric Eymann picked up an RBI single that scored Frk, who had reached on a one-out walk, and Eymann came in to score two batters later on a Trevor Huisinga run-scoring single to center.

A fifth inning Sycamore rally netted a pair of runs, and Indiana State got another in the sixth off reliever Tim Gorski to close the gap to 6-5.

Jimmy Conroy got Illinois out of its biggest jam of the game to preserve the 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Conroy entered the game in relief of Jonathan Smiley with the bases loaded and no one out, but got Smiley out of the jam with a foul pop out, strikeout and ground ball that ended the threat.

Conroy earned the win, improving to 4-1 on the year, after throwing three innings to finish off the game. He did not allow a base runner, retiring the final nine Sycamores in order, while striking out four.

Sycamore starter Ryan Hayes suffered the loss, falling to 0-1 on the year, after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in three innings.

Offensively Illinois pounded out 12 hits, led by a 3-for-4 evening from Eric Eymann. Frk and Kyes added a pair of hits each, and Frk collected two RBI on his fourth and fifth doubles of the season.

Illinois returns to action this weekend, opening Big Ten play at Ohio State. The Illini and Buckeyes are scheduled for four games Friday through Sunday, squaring off in single nine inning games Friday and Sunday with a seven-inning doubleheader sandwiched in on Saturday.