March 29, 2009

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Freshman pitcher Will Strack tossed a complete-game four-hitter with three strikeouts and a walk, and fellow rookie Bryan Roberts allowed just two runs in eight innings as No. 25 Illinois swept a doubleheader from Michigan State, 3-2 in game one and 3-0 in game two, to sweep the weekend series with the Spartans. It was the Illini's second series sweep this season, first Big Ten series sweep since 2007 and leaves Illinois alone in first place in the conference standings at 3-0. Illinois now stands 16-5 overall, its best start to a season since going 18-3 to open 1989.

"Nine-inning doubleheaders are tough, but our guys handled it well," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "All of our pitchers did a great job. If our starters can take us deep in games, we should be in good shape. This weekend has us heading in the right direction."

Strack sparkled in the second game of the day, using just 101 pitches and throwing 67 strikes in only his third career start. After striking out a pair of hitters in the first and setting down the Spartans in order, he pitched out of his worst jam of the day in the second. Leadoff man Chris Roberts beat out a bunt single and moved to second on catcher Aaron Johnson's throwing error. One out later, Jonathan Roof legged out a bunt single and Strack allowed his only walk of the day to load the bases, but he induced a 6-4-3 double play on a 2-0 pitch to escape the inning.

Strack needed only eight pitches in the third and seven in the fourth as he retired eight consecutive hitters. The Illini got all three of their runs in those two innings when left fielder Casey McMurray ripped a one-out single to left and third baseman Dominic Altobelli blasted a two-run bomb to left-center for a 2-0 lead. Illinois added a run in the fourth when DH Willie Argo singled with two outs and second baseman Josh Parr brought him home with a triple to right to go up 3-0.

Strack's streak was broken with a one-out single in the fifth, but he erased that mistake with another inning-ending double play. The Sycamore, Ill., native used only eight pitches in the sixth and needed just nine in the seventh inning. He retired the first two hitters he faced in the eighth to run that string of consecutive outs to nine before a two-out single broke it.

Having thrown only 89 pitches through eight innings, Strack came out for the ninth inning and worked a quick frame, inducing a groundout to Brandon Wikoff at shortstop and consecutive flyouts to Joe Bonadonna in center field to end the game. He faced only three hitters over the minimum and held left-handed hitters to a .059 average. He induced 13 groundouts and only gave up one hit with runners on base and one with two outs. Strack also allowed only one leadoff hitter to reach base and only went to two three-ball counts on the day.

In game one, Roberts pitched a strong eight innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks. He threw first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 32 hitters he faced and didn't allow a hit after a 1-1 count, reaching only four three-ball counts in eight innings.

Illinois jumped on top with a run in the bottom of the second when Johnson singled and first baseman Craig Lutes walked. Johnson stole third and, two outs later, Parr doubled down the left-field line to bring home the Illini catcher and put the Orange and Blue up 1-0.

Roberts retired the Spartans in order in the third and fourth innings, needing only six pitches in the third and three - the fewest possible in an inning - in the fourth inning. Lutes led off the fourth with a triple to deep right-center and came home on right fielder Nick Stockwell's sacrifice fly to put the Illini ahead 2-0.

MSU got a run in the sixth after a leadoff double, groundout and sacrifice fly, and tied the game at 2 in the eighth after consecutive singles, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. Nick Chmielewski came on in the ninth inning for Illinois and got a strikeout, a groundout to Wikoff and a pop-up to Parr to retire the Spartans.

Argo led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to right-center and Parr walked. Bonadonna sacrificed the runners over and McMurray popped out for the second out of the inning. Wikoff was intentionally walked to load the bases and bring up Altobelli, who had been hit by a pitch twice in the game. Altobelli worked the count to 1-2 before MSU reliever Kurt Wunderlich came too far inside and hit Altobelli once again to force in the winning run for Illinois.

On the day, Johnson was 3-for-7 with a run scored and Altobelli went 2-for-6 with three RBIs and a home run. Parr was 3-for-7 with a double, a triple and two RBIs.

The Illini hit .323 as a team during the three-game series and outscored the Spartans 16-5 while out-hitting them 31-16. Illinois pitchers compiled a staff ERA of 1.33 on the weekend and held Michigan State to a .180 batting average with only one extra-base hit.

Up Next: The Fighting Illini begin mid-week play Tuesday when they travel to face Illinois State at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Ill., at 4:30 p.m. The Redbirds were able to play only one game this weekend because of inclement weather, defeating Indiana State, 11-6, on Friday. Illinois then returns home to face Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. prior to a home Big Ten series against Indiana.