March 17, 2007

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - After scoring in the first inning, Illinois gave up six runs in the bottom of the frame and Jacksonville State cruised from there, winning 14-2 over the Illini. Leftfielder Ryan Snowden was 3-for-4 with a double and a run, and centerfielder Kyle Hudson walked three times and scored once in the loss.

Illinois scored in the first inning for the fourth straight game after Snowden led off the game with a first-pitch double down the left-field line and moved to third on shortstop Shawn Roof's base hit to center. Catcher Lars Davis drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center, putting the Illini up 1-0.

But the Gamecocks - who have won either the regular-season or tournament championship in the Ohio Valley the last three years - struck back, scoring six runs after a lead-off strikeout, stringing together four hits, two walks and a hit batter to take a 6-1 lead.

Illinois pushed another run across in the third after Hudson drew a one-out walk and moved to third on Snowden's base hit. Roof drove him in with a groundout to cut the lead to 6-2. JSU got it back in the bottom half, though, using a two-base throwing error and a single to push the lead to 7-2.

The Illini had a prime scoring chance in the seventh when second baseman Joe Bonadonna was hit by a pitch with one out and Hudson drew his third walk of the day. Snowden singled through the left side to load the bases, but Bonadonna was put out on a fielder's choice at home on a Roof grounder and Davis grounded out to end the inning with the JSU lead remaining at 7-2.

The Gamecocks exploded once again in the seventh inning, scoring four runs on two hits, two walks and an error, chasing reliever Ben Reeser and posting JSU to an 11-2 advantage. Jacksonville State added three more in the eighth off Jonathan Smiley for the final 14-2 margin.

Also for the Illini, Roof went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a steal, Davis was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Bonadonna went 1-for-2.

Up Next: Illinois returns to the IMG Academy Complex fields Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (CT) against Yale.