April 24, 2010

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Illinois gave up multiple runs in four innings and could only muster six hits as Michigan State won the weekend series with a 16-1 victory at McLane Stadium on Saturday. Illini second baseman Christian Cummins went 3-for-3 with a double and a run, and DH Thomas Shelton was 2-for-3.

"We weren't productive in any aspect today," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "We didn't swing the bats, we didn't pitch and our defense was average. We need to get better quickly and start doing our jobs so we can get into the Big Ten Tournament."

Michigan State (26-11 overall, 7-5 in the Big Ten) threatened in the bottom of the second, when third baseman Torsten Boss drew a one-out walk and moved to third on DH Chris Roberts' double to the wall in right. Left fielder Bo Felt lifted a medium-depth fly ball to right field, where Craig Lutes gloved it and threw a laser to the plate. Catcher Aaron Johnson had the plate blocked and took the ball off a hop before tagging out Boss for the inning-ending double play to keep the game scoreless.

But the Spartans chased Illini (18-18, 5-7) starter Will Strack after a five-run third inning on three singles, an RBI triple and a two-run homer. MSU added a run in the fourth on a solo homer by Felt, his third of the weekend, off reliever Billy Barrett, but Barrett coaxed three flyouts - including a highlight-reel catch by center fielder Willie Argo on a liner to left-center - to get out of the inning with Illinois trailing 6-0.

MSU tacked on four more runs in the fifth, using five hits and a wild pitch to extend its lead to 10-0. The Illini got a run in the sixth when Cummins led off the inning by lining a double off Boss' glove at the corner. After an out, catcher Aaron Johnson sent a high chopper to shortstop Jonathan Roof, but Roof's throw was low and hopped into the Illinois dugout, allowing Cummins to score and Johnson to advance to third. He moved to third on first baseman Mike Giller's liner off the pitcher, but was stranded there as Illinois cut the lead to 10-1.

The Spartans added four more runs in the sixth as they batted around the order, using four hits and taking advantage of two hit batters to extend their lead to 14-1. MSU posted a pair of solo homers in the seventh inning to increase the margin to 16-1. Illinois wasn't able to draw any closer in their final two trips to the plate, falling by that score.

Cummins led the Illini offense, going 3-for-3 with a double, a steal and a run scored, and DH Thomas Shelton went 2-for-3.

Illinois returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Bradley at 6:05 p.m. before welcoming Northwestern to Illinois Field for a weekend series. Friday's game will be the second-annual Bleacher Bum Barbecue, with free admission for all fans and free food for the first 1,000.