April 7, 2009

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Junior shortstop Brandon Wikoff (Peoria, Ill.) became the first Illinois player to hit for the cycle since Sean Mulligan in 1990 when he accomplished the feat with an RBI triple to center in the eighth inning, driving in the eventual game-winning run in the Illini's 11-9 win over Bradley at Illinois Field.

"I was seeing the ball really well today and I took advantage of some mistake pitches," Wikoff said. "It feels good but I think my teammates enjoyed it more than I did."

Bradley (9-16) jumped on top with an unearned run in the first inning but the Illini (19-7) tied it when second baseman Joe Bonadonna (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) singled and stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. Left fielder Casey McMurray (Willow Springs, Ill.) doubled him home, tying the game at 1.

But the Braves grabbed a 2-1 lead with a run in the second on two hits and a walk. Illinois exploded for five runs in the third, though, starting with Wikoff's single up the middle. DH Aaron Johnson (Sussex Corner, New Brunswick) was hit by a pitch and first baseman Matt Dittman (Libertyville, Ill.) walked to load the bases. Right fielder Pete Cappetta singled through the left side to bring home two and catcher Chris Montgomery (Esperanza, Calif.) roped a double to right-center to drive in two more. Center fielder Willie Argo (Davenport, Iowa) brought home Montgomery with a base hit up the middle to give the Illini a 6-2 lead.

Reliever Lee Zerrusen (Teutopolis, Ill.) retired the Braves on six pitches in the fifth and Wikoff ripped a homer to right in the bottom half for a 7-2 lead, but Bradley scored five runs on five hits and a walk to tie the game at 7. But the Illini regained the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Argo poked a one-out single through the right side and stole second, and Bonadonna walked. Both runners moved up on a balk and Wikoff brought them home with a double to left-center for a 9-7 lead.

Aaron Martin (Georgetown, Ill.) set down the Braves in order in the sixth and pitched around a single and a walk in the seventh to record 2 1/3 scoreless innings of work. Illinois' offense went back to work in the seventh when Bonadonna beat out a bunt single down the third-base line but was caught stealing. McMurray walked and Wikoff came to the plate a triple shy of a cycle. He proceeded to lift a deep fly ball that bounced off the wall just to the left of center field and he slid into third ahead of the throw to record the first cycle by an Illini player since Sean Mulligan accomplished the feat on Feb. 25, 1990 against Michigan. Third baseman Dominic Altobelli (Oak Forest, Ill.) followed with a first-pitch single through the left side to put the Illini ahead 11-7.

"It's really something special," Illinois coach Dan Hartleb said of Wikoff's cycle. "He's a good hitter who's going to get a lot more hits before he leaves here, and he's going to be good at the next level and get a lot of hits there, too."

Reliever John Anderson worked around a pair of hits in the eighth to toss a scoreless frame and Bradley touched Illinois closer Nick Chmielewski for two runs in the ninth before he struck out Jordan Colvin on three pitches to end the game with the Illini on top, 11-9.

Wikoff finished the day 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs, his second four-hit game in the last four, improving his season average to .421. Bonadonna was 2-for-3 with two runs and a steal, and Argo went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run and three stolen bases. Cappetta and Montgomery both drove in two runs and Dittman was 1-for-3 with a run, a steal and two runs.

Haig allowed only an unearned run in an inning of work and Corey Kimes struck out two while allowing a run in two innings. Martin struck out three and walked one with one hit in 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief and Anderson gave up two hits in a shutout inning of work.

Up Next: Illinois will travel to Michigan for a three-game series against the Wolverines at Ray Fisher Stadium. Friday's game will begin at 6:05 p.m. (CT) and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network with Matt Shepard calling the play-by-play and Jerry Kindall providing expert analysis. Saturday's game time has been moved to 2:05 p.m. and Sunday's finale will begin at 12:05 p.m.