March 11, 2012

Box Score | Printable Box Score

Coach Hartleb Interview | Hohl Interview

EUGENE, Ore. - The Illini scored 14 runs in the first three innings against West Virginia, including seven in the opening frame, to take a 14-3 victory in the final game of the Nike College Showcase at PK Park. The game was shortened to seven innings because of a predetermined mercy rule. Illinois went 3-1 on the weekend, including a win over No. 18 Oregon on Friday, and improves to 7-6 on the season.

The Illini now have won six of their last eight games after starting the season 1-4, and held three of their four opponents on the weekend to three or fewer runs. First baseman Jordan Parr hit .467 in the Nike College Showcase, while Davis Hendrickson drove in a team-high six runs. Kevin Johnson allowed one run in his complete-game win over the Ducks, John Kravetz gave up only one run in 7 2/3 innings in the victory over Connecticut and the Illinois pitching staff held opponents to a .198 batting average as the Orange and Blue outscored its foes 23-13 on the weekend.

After Illini starter Nick Chmielewski worked a scoreless top of the first, the Illini bats got rolling in the bottom half. Shortstop Thomas Lindauer drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Center fielder Willie Argo walked and left fielder Justin Parr drove home Lindauer with a base hit to right. Third baseman Brandon Hohl singled through the left side, scoring Argo, and second baseman Reid Roper was hit by a pitch to load the bases. First baseman Jordan Parr extended his hitting streak to 13 games with an RBI single into center, driving home Justin Parr, and right fielder Davis Hendrickson was hit by a pitch to force in Hohl from third. Roper scored on a wild pitch and, one out later, DH Will Krug drove in Jordan Parr with a groundout. Lindauer singled through the left side in his second plate appearance of the inning, plating Hendrickson and giving the Illini a 7-0 lead.

In the second, Chmielewski hit a batter with one out but got out of the inning unscathed by inducing a pair of groundouts. The Illini kept rolling in the bottom half as Argo drew a leadoff walk and Justin Parr doubled to center field. Hohl knocked a base hit to right, driving in Argo, and, one out later, Hohl moved up to second on a groundout by Jordan Parr. That proved valuable as Hendrickson laced a single up the middle that drove home two runs and pushed the margin to 10-0.

WVU got two runs back in the third after an error and a hit batter started the inning. A bunt single loaded the bases with Mountaineers but Chmielewski induced a pop-up to Lindauer for the first out. The next batter singled up the middle to drive in a run and Chmielewski coaxed a grounder to Hohl, who threw to second for an out. The batter beat the relay throw to first, though, breaking up the double play and allowing a run to score. But Chmielewski retired the next hitter when he fouled out to Hohl as WVU drew within 10-2.

The Illini kept pouring it on in the bottom of the third, though, as Krug drew a leadoff walk and Lindauer beat out an infield hit. The pair executed a double-steal to move up to third and second, and Argo walked to load the bases. Justin Parr drew a four-pitch walk that forced home Krug and West Virginia brought in reliever Jared Hill. Hohl walked on five pitches, forcing in Lindauer, and Roper drew a four-pitch RBI walk that scored Argo. After an out, Hendrickson drove home Parr with an RBI groundout, increasing Illinois' lead to 14-2.

The Mountaineers finally got to Chmielewski in the fourth after a double, a single and a walk loaded the bases. Chmielewski induced a grounder to the left side that Lindauer gloved after ranging to his right and threw to Hohl at third for the out, but a run scored and Luke Joyce came on in relief. Joyce got out of the jam by coaxing a groundout to Hohl and striking out a hitter to keep the Illini lead at 14-3.

The Illini drew a pair of walks in the fourth but stranded both runners after a fly-out and a strikeout. Joyce kept rolling in the fifth, retiring WVU in order on a pop-up to Lindauer, a fly-out to Hendrickson and a strikeout. He gave up a leadoff single in the sixth but sat down the next three hitters to hold the 14-3 lead. Ronnie Muck came on to pitch the seventh and hit a batter with two outs before retiring the final hitter on a groundout to Hohl to end the game according to the pre-determined run-rule of a 10-run lead after seven innings.

Hohl keyed the Illini offense, going 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBIs and two runs, and Justin Parr went 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and three runs. Hendrickson drove in a career-high four runs while going 1-for-3 with a run, and Lindauer was 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and two runs. Roper also went 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and a run. Joyce pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing only one walk while striking out three, and Muck pitched a scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout.

For the weekend, Jordan Parr led the Illini offense by hitting .467 (7-for-15) with a triple, two RBIs and a run, while Justin Parr drove in five runs while hitting 4-for-14 (.286). Bill Charvat went 3-for-9 (.333) with two runs, and Hendrickson drove in six runs in four games.

On the mound, 10 Illini pitchers combined to post a 2.65 ERA with 18 strikeouts and only seven walks in 34 innings while holding opponents to a .198 batting average. Five relievers posted a perfect 0.00 ERA with Joyce, Muck, Drasen Johnson, Brian de la Torriente and Anthony Milazzo recording scoreless appearances. And starters Kevin Johnson and John Kravetz combined to allow only two earned runs in 16 2/3 innings while striking out 11 and walking only two batters.

The Illini return to action on Friday, when they travel to Southern Illinois to face the Salukis at 2:30 p.m. at Abe Martin Field. Illinois also will be holding a food and fund drive on Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the people of Harrisburg, Ill., who were affected by the recent tornado. The team will deliver the supplies that are donated on Saturday after playing Northern Illinois at 11 a.m. in Carbondale.