Feb. 25, 2005

Final Stats

Rock Hill, S.C. - Illinois came back from an early deficit with a three-run fifth inning, but Kent State was one run better on the Illini's Opening Day as the Golden Flashes won 6-5 at the NIA Shootout.

"Our players put the ball in play the majority of time and made decent contact," said Illinois coach Richard "Itch" Jones. "We played errorless ball. We swung the bats ok, but we have to get better. We've got to get more hits with men in scoring position."

The Golden Flashes scored first, plating the first their first three batters of the game for a 3-0 lead after a half-inning. Illini right fielder Trevor Huisinga answered in the third inning, putting Illinois on the board with his first career home run, a solo shot to right field, to cut Kent State's lead to 3-1.

The Illini continued to battle back after Kent State extended its lead to 4-1 in the fourth as catcher Chris Robinson lined a one-out double down the right field line in the bottom of the inning. Third baseman Chad Frk legged out an infield hit, then Robinson scored and Frk moved to second when the shortstop's late throw skipped past first base, slicing the Kent State lead to 4-2.

The fifth inning belonged to the Illini as Drew Davidson led off with a double to the wall in dead center and moved to third on a wild pitch. Huisinga walked and shortstop Toby Gardenhire recorded his first hit as an Illini, driving in Davidson with a line drive just inside the right field line. Gardenhire advanced to second when Huisinga was caught in a rundown between third and home, then Gardenhire scored on Ryan Hastings' double to the left field wall. Ryan Rogowski followed by blasting an RBI triple down the right field line to score Hastings and give Illinois a 5-4 lead.

"I don't think we ever lost confidence," Jones said. "Once we got men in scoring position, their pitcher would reach back and get a little more. And we weren't able to hit him at his best, so that ended up being the ballgame. We got back in it and took the lead, but we just weren't able to hang on to it. "

Kent State pulled ahead 6-5 in the sixth, however, when designated hitter Kurt Eichorn swatted his second home run of the day, a two-run shot to left-center field off junior reliever Joel Barickman. Barickman settled down after that homer, retiring nine of the next 11 batters he faced. James Morris came in with a runner on first in the ninth inning and sat down all three batters he faced, two with strikeouts.

Kent State reliever Chad Wagler was the difference, as he threw 4 2/3 innings of one-hit ball to close the game. All three Illini hitters he walked reached scoring position, but none of them scored.

"You have to give him a lot of credit because he did a great job," Jones said. "We had seven hits off Smith in 4 1/3 innings, but then we only got one hit off Wagler in the last 4 2/3 innings, and that was the difference in the ballgame. We never did get to him even though we did have some men on base because he walked three guys."

Toby Gardenhire was 2-for-4 in his first game as an Illini, driving in a run and scoring once. Six other Illinois players had one hit as the Illini outhit the Flashes 8-6. Robinson picked off a baserunner at first base and threw out a would-be basestealer in addition to his double and run scored.

Illinois returns to action against host Winthrop Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST. Jimmy Conroy will start for the Illini, and Mike Honce will start for the Eagles.