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Baseball
Top-seeded Illini drop 11-8 slugfest to No. 6-seed Minnesota
May 27, 2005
Champaign, Ill. - Illinois' offense awoke from its two-week slumber, but the pitching that has carried the Illini most of the season faltered as sixth-seeded Minnesota downed Illinois 11-8 in a game that nearly broke the Big Ten Tournament record for the longest game. The Illini will now face the winner of the Michigan-Purdue game at 3:35 p.m. Friday in an elimination game. "I have confidence that we can bounce back," Illinois coach Itch Jones said. "Tonight we got a lot of big hits early in the game and had trouble getting them late. Hopefully we'll be able to get them against whoever we play tomorrow." Illinois fell behind early, as starter Brian Blomquist allowed a run to the Gophers but was able to sneak out of a first and third one out jam with only a 1-0 deficit. The Gophers added another run in the third inning, but the Illini came back with a huge five-run bottom of the third inning. Second baseman J.R. Kyes (Springfield, Ill.) led off the inning with a single to left and leftfielder Ryan Rogowski (Livonia, Mich.) knocked another base hit to left. Catcher Chris Robinson (Dorchester, Ontario) sacrificed the runners to second and third, before first baseman Dusty Bensko walked to load the bases. Big Ten Player of the Year Drew Davidson (West Des Moines, Iowa) drove in two runs with a single to center, then DH Mike Rohde (Brookfield, Wis.) tripled over the centerfielder's head to plate two more. Rohde then scored on a Shawn Roof (Paducah, Ky.) sacrifice fly that gave Illinois a 5-2 lead. The Illini scored another in the fourth, when Bensko drove in Kyes with a sacrifice fly. But the Gophers fought back with two runs in the fifth, cutting the Illinois lead to 6-4. The Orange and Blue retaliated with a pair in the bottom of the inning when rightfielder Trevor Huisinga (Bartlett, Ill.) blasted his third home run of the year to right field, driving in Roof from first and extending Illinois' lead to 8-4. Minnesota scored three in the sixth and one in the seventh to tie the game 8-8. Jake Toohey (Chicago, Ill.) shut the door on the Gophers in the sixth, entering the inning with the bases loaded and only one out before coaxing a grounder back to the mound to start a 1-2-3 double play that ended the inning. Going into the ninth still at 8-8, Toohey surrendered three runs on consecutive doubles after he walked two straight Gophers. The Illini appeared to be mounting a rally in the bottom of the ninth as Roof collected his third hit of the night and Huisinga walked, but pinch hitter Chase Kliment grounded into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. "Ordinarily if you give your No. 1 starter eight runs you feel pretty good about that," Jones said. "Give Minnesota credit, though. They drove the ball to both fields all night and were able to overcome our lead." Roof led the Illini, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and Huisinga was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run. Kyes finished 3-for-5 with two runs, while Davidson and Rohde each drove in two with one hit.
Blomquist continued to struggle, lasting only 5 1/3 innings while allowing seven runs - five earned - on 12 hits and walking two with three strikeouts. The Illini will face the winner of Friday's 12:05 p.m. elimination game between Michigan and Purdue at 3:35. Minnesota remains in the winner's bracket and will play Ohio State at 7 p.m. |
