CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader Sunday at Illinois Field. The Illini opened the day with a 10-4 loss to Toledo and followed with a 3-1 setback against Southern Illinois.
Illinois (5-12) finished the weekend 1-3 in the three-team double round robin. Sophomore outfielder Jack Yalowitz led the Illini with a .471 batting average (8-17), two home runs and nine RBIs on the weekend. Senior first baseman/outfielder Pat McInerney added two homers during the four games.
The home schedule continues Tuesday against Illinois State at 4:05 p.m. CT.
Southern Illinois 3, Illinois 1
Southern Illinois scored two runs on wild pitches Sunday in a 3-1 victory over the Illini. Illinois had opportunities in the game but stranded 10 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the fifth and eighth innings.
Illinois had just four hits, including only one off of SIU starter Joey Marciano (2-0), who picked up the win by throwing five shutout innings and striking out eight. Illini starter Luke Shilling struck out eight in six innings, but allowed five hits, three runs and walked five.
Neither team had a hit with runners on base, as Illinois went 0 for 14 and SIU was 0 for 15 with men on. The Illini were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
Pat McInerney provided Illinois' only run on an eighth-inning no-doubter home run to left field. McInerney took a 3-1 pitch and crushed it just inside of the left field foul pole.
Toledo 10, Illinois 4
Toledo hit two homers in the fifth inning Sunday to pull ahead and beat the Illinois baseball team 10-4. The Rockets' blasts led to a 9-1 lead by the middle of the fifth.
Illinois lost its second straight after beating Toledo 11-5 to open the weekend Friday.
Matthew James (0-1) took the loss in his first start of the season. He lasted four innings and allowed four runs on six hits while striking out one and walking three. Zack Jones allowed six runs in 1 1/3 innings before Ryan Thompson (2 2/3 IP, 1 H) and Zak Devermann (1 IP, 1 H) shut down Toledo for the remainder of the game.
Jack Yalowitz led the offense with his third straight multi-hit game. He also drove in two of Illinois' four runs. Anthony Drago went 2 for 3 and scored twice.
Toledo (5-15) got five hits and six RBIs out of the bottom two in its lineup. Michael Ryan was 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs and Antonio Bennett went 2 for 5 with three RBIs.
