April 14, 2006

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - All nine Illinois starters had at least two hits and six had at least three hits, but the Illini dropped a stunning 19-18 decision to Northwestern in front of a season-high 1,466 fans at Illinois Field. The seventh-inning stretch fireworks display wasn't the only light show as the teams combined for 46 hits, 17 for extra bases. The teams' 37-run output is the second-highest scoring Big Ten game Illinois has been a part of, falling just short of its 35-4 win over Indiana on April 20, 1901.

The Wildcats scored first on Pat McMahon's first-inning solo homer, but the Illini tagged NU starter Ryan Myers for seven runs in two-thirds of an inning. The onslaught included a two-run double by Mike Rohde and a two-out, two-run triple by Ryan Hastings. Ryan Snowden also added a two-out RBI double to cap the frame with Illinois up 7-1.

Illini starter Brian Blomquist needed only seven pitches to retire the Wildcats in the second inning and the Illinois bats went back to work. Dave Schultz led off with a solo homer, Chase Kliment singled to right-center and Mike Rohde singled up the middle to advance Kliment to third. Two outs later, Joe Bonadonna's single scored Kliment and moved Rohde to third. Hastings then singled up the middle to plate Rohde and give the Illini a 10-1 lead.

But NU fought back with three in the third and seven in the fourth before Illinois scored three more in the fourth off back-to-back doubles by Lars Davis and Trevor Huisinga, a bunt single by Bonadonna and a two-run single by Snowden. After Davis had doubled and Huisinga worked the count to 3-1, play was suspended for 28 minutes after lightning was spotted. Huisinga responded by lacing the first pitch he saw after the delay into the gap in right-center to score Davis. A two-run single by Snowden gave Illinois a 13-11 lead after four innings.

The Wildcats continued to scratch and clas, scoring twice in the fifth and once in the sixth before Illinois put three more on the board in the sixth to regain the lead, 16-14. Illinois added two more in the seventh off Davis' second career home run, a two-run shot to right-center, that gave the Illini an 18-14 lead. But two consecutive errors and three walks in the top of the eighth led to a five-run frame for Northwestern that became the difference as Illinois left a man on second in the bottom of the ninth and the Wildcats won 19-18.

On the night, Bonadonna led the Illini by going 4-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a stolen base. Davis was 3-for-5 with three RBI, three runs, a homer and a double; and Hastings went 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs and a triple. Schultz, Rohde and Shawn Roof each had three hits on the night, and Snowden went 2-for-6 with three RBI and a double. Of note for the Wildcats was McMahon hitting for the cycle as he went 5-for-6 with six RBI, five runs, a double, a triple and two home runs.

The 26 hits for Illinois were the most since May 8, 2000, when that Illini team pasted St. Joseph for 39 hits. The teams return to action Saturday at 3 p.m. for a doubleheader.