Feb. 29, 2004

Box Score

Starkville, Miss. - The University of Illinois baseball team fell 9-3 to 29th ranked Mississippi State on the final day of the Mississippi State Challenge in Starkville, Miss. The loss drops Illinois to 2-2 on the year while MSU moves to 3-0.

The Illini offense got right to work in the first inning Sunday, plating two in the top half for an early lead against MSU starter Jeff Lacher. Ryan Hastings sent a one-out single to left and Eric Eymann followed with a double to right that put runners on second and third for clean-up man Dusty Bensko. Bensko then worked the count until he was able to ground to short, scoring Hastings and advancing Eymann to third for Drew Davidson, who singled him in for the 2-0 lead.

MSU answered right back in the bottom half against Illini starter Jeff Paarlberg. Jeffrey Rea led off the game with a triple, and a walk, two singles and two consecutive walks gave MSU a 3-2 lead and chased Paarlberg in favor of Tim Gorski before any outs were made. By the time the inning was over MSU had sent 10 batters to the plate and owned a 5-2 lead.

After Illinois threatened again in the second, loading the bases with only one out but unable to capitalize, MSU added three in the second to open an 8-2 lead. Dusty Bensko gave Illinois a single run in the third to pull the game to within 8-3 when he led off the top half of the frame with a solo home run, his second of the weekend, to left.

MSU added a single run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run to open the lead back to six at 9-3.

Lacher (1-0) earned the win after working five innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out nine and walking one. Paarlberg (0-1) suffered the loss. He allowed five runs on three hits and walked three.

Offensively, Illinois collected nine hits on the day, paced by center fielder Trevor Huisinga, who went 3-for-3 with a walk.

Illinois returns to action next weekend in a three-game series Friday-Sunday against the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla.