May 1, 2009

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. - Phil Haig (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) threw his first career nine-inning complete game and No. 28 Illinois got home runs from catcher Aaron Johnson (Sussex Corner, New Brunswick) and DH Willie Argo (Davenport, Iowa) as the Illini cruised past Northwestern, 10-2, at Rocky Miller Park. Haig didn't give up a hit after the fourth inning, allowing Illinois to score nine unanswered runs as he tossed an 87-pitch complete game. The Illini move into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten at 12-4 in league games, 28-13 overall, because the first game of the Ohio State/Michigan series was rained out.

"Phil was very good today," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "He had some base runners early, but he got a couple of double plays to get out of two innings and built off that. And offensively, we played well top to bottom. We used the whole field, moved runners and hit for power."

Northwestern took a lead in the second with a run after consecutive singles to open the inning and a sacrifice bunt. On the play, third baseman Dominic Altobelli (Oak Forest, Ill.) threw wildly to first, allowing the lead runner to come home for a 1-0 lead. Starter Phil Haig (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) got out of the jam with a double-play ball to shortstop Brandon Wikoff (Peoria, Ill.), the second twin killing he had induced.

But the Wildcats' lead was short-lived as freshman DH Willie Argo (Davenport, Iowa) blasted a Joe Muraski offering down the left-field line for his 10th homer of the year, tying the game at 1 and equaling Drew Davidson's home-run total from 2002 for fourth place on the Illinois freshman home runs list.

The Wildcats regained the lead in the third on a solo homer by third baseman Chris Lashmet for a 2-1 advantage. But Illinois continued to fight back, with Wikoff and Altobelli singling up the middle to start the fourth inning. Johnson made Muraski pay with a first-pitch three-run home run to left, pushing the Illini on top, 4-2.

Haig started to find a groove in the bottom of the fourth, giving up a one-out single before coaxing the third double play of the day to end the inning. He hit a batter with one out in the fifth but got a punch-out and a grounder to Altobelli at third to finish the frame.

Illinois added two more runs in the sixth when Wikoff drew a leadoff walk and Altobelli lined a 3-2 pitch through the left side. A flyout by Johnson moved both runners up a base and, one out later, right fielder Pete Cappetta (Lisle, Ill.) drew a walk and Argo laced a two-run single to right-center that scored Wikoff and Altobelli for a 6-2 margin.

Haig worked around a leadoff error in the sixth with another punch-out, a flyout and a groundout. Then he turned it up a notch, finishing the game by retiring the final 10 hitters, setting down the Wildcats in order in the final three innings, needing only 19 pitches to do so.

The Illini tacked on three more in the ninth on three hits, an error and a walk. First baseman Matt Dittman (Libertyville, Ill.) singled to start the inning and moved to second when Cappetta was hit by a pitch. After both runners moved up on a groundout, second baseman Josh Parr (Chillicothe, Ill.) reached on a throwing error to load the bases. Center fielder Joe Bonadonna (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) worked a 12-pitch at bat that ended in an RBI single to left that brought home Dittman. After a pitching change, left fielder Casey McMurray (Willow Springs, Ill.) smacked the first pitch he saw to right-center, bringing home Cappetta and Parr, to push the lead to 10-2.

Haig cruised through the ninth inning, using only five pitches to retire the side and seal his first career nine-inning complete game. He struck out three and allowed only six hits while not giving up a walk on 87 pitches. He allowed only three leadoff men to reach base and allowed just one hit with two outs. Haig also didn't allow a runner past second base after Lashmet's third-inning home run.

Wikoff finished 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs, and Altobelli was 2-for-5 with two runs. Bonadonna also was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run and Argo was 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Dittman finished the day 2-for-4 with a run and Johnson was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer.

Up Next: The Illini and Wildcats will play the second game of the series Saturday at 1:05 p.m. Ben Reeser will toe the rubber for Illinois, while Northwestern will send Eric Jokisch to the hill.