May 20, 2005

Box Score

Champaign, Ill. - Illinois opened a big four-game series with Iowa on a sour note Friday night, dropping a 12-9 decision to the Hawkeyes in front of 1,529 fans at Illinois Field. Illini ace Brian Blomquist was battered to the tune of 16 hits and nine runs in 6 1/3 innings by the Hawkeyes (26-26, 17-12), who moved within two games of the first-place Illini (32-19-1, 19-10) with three games remaining in the Big Ten race. Purdue (15-10) and Minnesota (17-12) both won on Friday and are two games back as well.

Despite the loss, Illini coach Itch Jones reminded his team that they still control their own destiny.

"I told them they need to relax, forget about tonight and come back tomorrow," he said. "At this point, I'll still take the position we're in, leading by two games with three games left."

The Illini, who have now lost five in a row, jumped out to early 1-0 and 2-1 leads, but Iowa broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning, capped by a three-run Nate Yoho blast that put the Hawkeyes up 8-2. Iowa sent 10 men to the plate in the inning and pounded out seven hits, including three in a row to start off the inning.

The Illini tried to chip away at the deficit, scoring two runs in the fifth, including a Ryan Rogowski (Livonia, Mich.) solo homer, and one more in the sixth to make the score 9-5. Iowa then plated two in the top of the eight to increase the lead to 11-5, but the Illini weren't done yet. Dusty Bensko (Pleasant Plains, Ill.) singled home Rogowski, and Drew Davidson (West Des Moines, Iowa) smashed a three-run home run to left as the Illini put up a four-spot in the eighth to make the score 11-9.

It wasn't meant to be, however, as the Hawkeyes got an insurance run in the top of the ninth, and Iowa closer Tim Gudex retired the Illini in the bottom half to finish the game.

"It's disappointing to lose in front of a crowd like this," said Davidson, "but hopefully they'll understand that we're going to lose a few games like this one, but we'll still come back tomorrow."

Both the 16 hits and nine runs Blomquist allowed were the most of his career. With the loss, he dropped to 10-3 on the season and saw his ERA balloon from 2.59 to 3.26.

"Blomquist didn't have one of his better games," said Jones of his ace. "Iowa jumped on him early and then had that big inning. I thought we could score eight or nine runs tonight, but I didn't think we'd give up 12."

Rogowski reached base five times and finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs, a homer and two stolen bases. Bensko was 2--for5 and drove in his Big Ten-leading 66th run, while Davidson finished the night 2-for-4 with three RBI and a homer.

Illinois can still seal its first Big Ten regular season title since 1998 by taking two of the final three games from the Hawkeyes. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 4:05 p.m., and the Sunday series finale starts at 1:05 p.m.