IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Illinois baseball team dropped the first game of a doubleheader Saturday on a walk-off safety squeeze in the 10th inning at Iowa. Jimmy Frankos laid down the bunt with runners on first and third and one out to win 4-3.
Iowa (13-14, 4-3 Big Ten) showed bunt with Frankos on the first three pitches from J.D. Nielsen. He laid down the fourth pitch back to Nielsen, who attempt to field it and throw to home but he lost the ball before he could make a throw. Leadoff man Joel Booker, who doubled to start the bottom of the 10th, scored the winning run.
Illinois (12-15, 3-4 Big Ten) rallied for a run in the top of the ninth. Anthony Drago led off the frame with a single and pinch-hitter Luke Shilling singled home pinch-runner David Craan, as the Fighting Illini came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the score.
Dan Rowbottom singled home a run in the fourth and Pat McInerney followed with a RBI double, after Iowa scored the game's first three runs before the end of the third inning.
Cody Sedlock set career highs with 8.0 innings pitched and 11 strikeouts, his third game of the season with 10+ punch outs. Sedlock allowed a solo homer to Nick Roscetti in the first and two runs scored off him in the third, but the right-hander settled in to shut down the Hawkeyes in the next five innings.
C.J. Eldred retired the first 10 Illini hitters before a miscommunication on a pop up started Illinois' two-run rally in the fourth. Eldred allowed two runs in 7.0 innings before the Hawkeyes' bullpen allowed one run on three hits in 3.0 innings.
The second game of the double header is set to begin at 4:10 p.m. CT.
