Illini Fall to Southern Illinois, 9-0

Tuesday, May 3

Marion, Ill. (Rent One Park)

6:30 PM

University of Illinois

17-23

Southern Illinois

17-27

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Illinois	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
Southern Illinois	5	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	X	9	14	0

Right fielder Davis Hendrickson went 2-for-3 to lead the Illini on Tuesday.

May 3, 2011 | Baseball

Box Score

May 3, 2011

Box Score

MARION, Ill. - Southern Illinois scored five runs in the first inning and the Illini struggled to bunch hits together as the Salukis took a 9-0 win at Rent One Park on Tuesday. Right fielder Davis Hendrickson went 2-for-3 and Will Strack pitched the final four innings, allowing only two runs, as Illinois slipped to 17-23 on the season.

"We didn't have a good approach at the plate tonight and we weren't sharp on the mound early in the game," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "But the good thing is that we get to come back out tomorrow and give it another shot."

Southern Illinois jumped on top with five first-inning runs, knocking Illini starter Bill Barrett out after just seven hitters. Matt Milroy took over and eventually retired the side. But the Salukis added two more in the second on a two-run double to left-center by SIU left fielder Jordan Sivertsen, extending their lead to 7-0.

Catcher Adam Davis knocked a one-out single up the middle in the fourth and moved to second when third baseman Brandon Hohl walked. But both runners were stranded after a pair of fly-outs ended the inning.

The Salukis tacked on two more runs in the fifth, bunching three hits together to score a run before an unusual double play. SIU first baseman Austin Montgomery struck out and the runner from first attempted a steal. But Montgomery leaned across the plate, being called for obstruction to result in the runner being called out. The next hitter singled to center, though, driving in the runner from third, to make the SIU lead 9-0.

Illinois got a one-out double from Pat Sheehan in the top of the seventh but he was stranded there after a strikeout and a fly-out ended the inning. Reliever Will Strack, who came on in the fifth inning, worked his second-straight 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh, running his string of hitters retired consecutively to seven.

Strack set down the first two hitters he faced in the eighth to extend his streak to nine straight hitters retired before allowing a two-out hit. But he kept his composure and got a groundout to end the inning. Illinois got a pair of runners on in the ninth after a single by Ryan Arrick and a two-out walk by Pat Sheehan, but Thomas Shelton grounded out to end the game.

The Illini return to action on Wednesday when they host Illinois College at 6:05 p.m. Illinois then welcomes Ohio State to Illinois Field for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday with the Bleacher Bum Barbecue. Gates open at 5 p.m. and first pitch is at 6:05 p.m.