Box Score April 5, 2011
Box Score
PEORIA, Ill. -
llinois tied the game with a run in the eighth inning but Bradley scored three in the bottom half on three walks and an error that allowed two runs to cross the plate as the Braves took a 7-4 win at O'Brien Field on Tuesday. Josh Parr was 3-for-5 with a solo homer and starter Matt Milroy limited Bradley to one run in four innings of work.
"We didn't take care of the little things tonight and it came back to bite us," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "We had their starter on the ropes in the second inning and didn't finish him. We got a bouncer back to the mound with two outs and made an error. We walked too many guys in big situations. We just have to be more consistent."
The Illini (9-13) jumped on top with three first-inning runs against Bradley (18-8). With one out, shortstop Josh Parr ripped a 3-2 pitch to left field for his second home run of the year. Left fielder Casey McMurray followed with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a passed ball. Catcher Adam Davis doubled to left-center, bringing home McMurray, and moved to third on a base hit by first baseman Matt Dittman. Davis and Dittman then pulled off a delayed double-steal as Davis scampered home for a 3-0 lead.
Bradley got a run back in the third after a leadoff hit, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to get within 3-1. After Illini starter worked a solid four innings, Bill Barrett relieved him in the fifth and the Braves scored two runs on a hit, a walk, a catcher's interference call, a wild pitch and a two-run single to tie the Illini 3-3.
The Illini looked to threaten in the sixth when third baseman Brandon Hohl and DH Justin Parr knocked consecutive two-out singles. Second baseman Thomas Lindauer drew a four-pitch walk, forcing a pitching change and right fielder Davis Hendrickson lifted a high fly ball to right-center. But the center fielder ranged over and grabbed it for the third out, stranding the bases loaded and keeping the score tied at 3.
The Braves grabbed their first lead of the game when first baseman Derek Sprout ripped the first pitch he saw from Barrett in the sixth over the fence in left field for a solo homer and a 4-3 Bradley lead.
But Illinois fought back with a run in the eighth after a one-out single by Hohl, who was replaced by pinch runner Pete Cappetta. That proved to be a clutch decision as Justin Parr laced a double into the gap in left-center to drive in Cappetta and tie the game, 4-4.
Bradley regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth, though, after three walks, a base hit, a wild pitch and a two-run error with the bases loaded gave the Braves a 7-4 lead. The Illini couldn't rally and fell by that score.
Josh Parr led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a solo homer, and Justin Parr was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Hohl also went 2-for-4. Milroy pitched well in his first start of 2011, allowing only one run on five hits and a walk over four innings, striking out three.
