Feb. 20, 2011

Box Score

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Illinois fought back to tie West Virginia three times - including in the top of the ninth inning - but the Mountaineers took advantage of a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth, scoring the winning run on a base hit to the gap in left-center to take a 5-4 victory over the Illini in the teams' final game of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge at Al Lang Field on Sunday. Illini shortstop Josh Parr was 2-for-4 with a triple and two steals, and brother, Justin, drove him in for the tying run in the top of the ninth, but the Illini fell to 1-2 on the season.

"I thought we played extremely hard but we hit way too many fly balls," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "Eighteen of our 27 outs were fly balls and only one of them was really hit hard. I'm disappointed that we're coming home 1-2, but there are a lot of bright spots. There were some things that we did well, but now we have to take care of the little things to win."

Illini starting pitcher Corey Kimes ran into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the first inning in his first career start, loading the bases with one out on a pair of singles and a walk. But he induced a two-hopper to second baseman Justin Parr, who started a 4-6-3 double play that ended the inning.

Kimes struck out the side in the second but West Virginia got a run in the third. A liner down the left-field line that appeared to be headed toward foul territory deflected off third-base umpire Randy Bachman and stayed fair for a one-out double. The next batter, Dan DiBartolomeo, laced a first-pitch single just past Parr's outstretched glove to bring home the runner from second. Kimes escaped the inning by inducing a fly-out and a groundout, but the Mountaineers took a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, center fielder Willie Argo broke up WVU pitcher Andy Berry's perfect game with a two-out single through the left side before he stole second. First baseman Matt Dittman walked but catcher Adam Davis flew out to right field to end the inning.

WVU added a run in the fourth after a leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single. Kimes walked the next batter before striking out Mark Dvoroznak, but Brady Wilson reached safely on a bunt hit to load the bases when the ball slipped out of Kimes' glove. But the Illini lefty coaxed a groundout to freshman third baseman Thomas Lindauer to retire the side with the Mountaineers holding a 2-0 lead.

But the Illini battled back in the top of the fifth when left fielder Casey McMurray drew a leadoff walk and, two outs later, right fielder Davis Hendrickson laced a triple to the wall in right field, bringing home McMurray from second to cut WVU's lead to 2-1. Shortstop Josh Parr then worked the count to 1-2 before lacing an opposite-field triple to right, scoring Hendrickson and tying the game at 2.

West Virginia got back on top with a run in the fifth after a leadoff single and a bunt hit. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a station and an RBI single up the middle gave the Mountaineers a 3-2 lead with men on the corners. Matt Milroy relieved Kimes and made a high throw to first on a bunt that left the bases loaded, but he induced a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam.

The Illini tied the game in the top of the sixth when Dittman and Davis both were hit with pitches with one out. McMurray reached when right fielder Brady Wilson's diving attempt came up just short, but the runners had to hold up on the fly ball and the bases were loaded. Pete Cappetta pinch hit for DH Thomas Shelton and laid down a bunt that brought home a run and squared the score, 3-3.

But the Mountaineers went ahead, 4-3, with a run in the bottom of the sixth on a leadoff double, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. But Illinois tied it up in the top of the ninth when Josh Parr was hit by a pitch with two outs, stole second and scored on Justin Parr's single to right field, evening the score, 4-4.

West Virginia looked to rally as Milroy gave up a leadoff walk before being replaced by freshman Luke Joyce. Joyce retired the first batter he faced on a sacrifice bunt before inducing a groundout to third base for the second out. But Mountaineer first baseman Justin McDavid lined a base hit to the gap in left-center just out of the reach of diving attempts by Argo and McMurray to bring home the winning run and take a 5-4 victory.

Josh Parr led the Illini, going 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, a run and two stolen bases. McMurray was 1-for-3 with a steal and a run, and Hendrickson was 1-for-4 with an RBI triple and a run scored.

Milroy took the loss despite pitching 3 2/3 solid innings of relief, allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Kimes gave up three runs on 10 hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings, striking out four in his first career start.

The Illini return to action next weekend when they travel to Fort Myers, Fla., to face Atlantic Sun Conference preseason favorite Florida Gulf Coast in a three-game series. Game one of the series begins at 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 25.