April 1, 2007

Box Score

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Illinois allowed eight Purdue runs in the first four innings as the Boilers forced a series split with an 11-6 win. Ryan Snowden went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a run, extending his career-best hitting streak to 18 games.

"We weren't focused today," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said. "We had a great opportunity to put ourselves in good position in the Big Ten with a win today and we approached the game to see what would happen rather than taking it to Purdue."

Illinois got on top first with a pair of runs in the first inning. With one out, third baseman Brandon Wikoff walked and catcher Lars Davis singled through the left side. A flyout by rightfielder Daniel Webb moved Wikoff to third and first baseman Mike Rohde drove in both runners with a double to right-center.

But Purdue fought back with three in the bottom half of the inning. Leftfielder Jordan Comadena jumped on the first offering from Illini starter Aaron Martin for a solo home run. After Martin retired the next two hitters, he gave up a base hit, hit consecutive batters and allowed a two-run double to centerfielder Jon Moore as the Boilers took a 3-2 lead.

Purdue added two runs on three hits in the second inning and tacked on three more in the fourth, pushing the lead to 8-2. Meanwhile, Boilermaker starter Tony Sedlmeyer settled down and retired 10 straight Illinois hitters, starting with the last out of the first inning.

"We gave up runs in the first and second, but we were still in the game at that point," Hartleb said. "We just weren't disciplined at the plate today. You don't win games when you're poor at the plate, in the field and on the mound like we were today."

Illinois scratched across a run in the fifth when second baseman Ryan Hastings led off with a double down the left-field line. Two outs later, leftfielder Ryan Snowden walked and Wikoff drove in Hastings with a base hit up the middle, cutting the deficit to 8-3. Illinois notched another run in the sixth when Hastings drove in Webb with a groundout, making the score 8-4.

But the Boilers used four hits to come up with a three-run seventh inning, also taking advantage of Illinois' second error of the game in making the margin 11-4.

In the ninth, pinch hitter Nick Stockwell laced a single over the second baseman's head and Snowden punched a hanging breaking ball over the left-field fence to cut the Purdue lead to 11-6. But Purdue reliever Allan Donato finished off the ninth without any further damage to salvage a series split for the Boilermakers.

In the game, Davis was 2-for-5 with a run and Rohde went 1-for-2 with a two-RBI double and two walks. Davis now has a 13-game hitting streak and Rohde's is at 10 games.

Up Next: Illinois adjusts its schedule for the mid-week, making the series with Western Michigan a doubleheader on Tuesday with a 2:05 p.m. start. The change occurred because of anticipated cold weather in Champaign on Wednesday and the hope for favorable conditions earlier in the week. The teams will play two seven-inning games.