IU @ Illinois, Game 2: IU wins first game of DH, 6-4....

[ptrich]

This is the rescheduled game from Sunday,

It's RHP Luke Sinnard on the mound for IU with an ERA of 3.68 in 44 IP. Serrruto is behind the plate and Mathison is again the DH

Illinois has RHP Jake Swartz on the mound with an ERA of 4.29 in 21 IP.

There's a pretty good wind blowing out to the outfield today at near 20 mph with the temp at 78 at game time.

1st Inning:

T1st:

Glasser grounded out to start the game,

Whalen then doubled to put a man in scoring position with one out.

Taylor who had two homers yesterday, tripled to score Whalen.

Tibbitts singled to score Taylor to make it 2-0 IU.

Mathison and Pyne grounded out to retire the side.

B1st:

Sinnard K'd the first two batters, but then hit a batter. A flyout ended the inning.

IU 2 Illini 0

 

[ptrich]

2nd Inning:

T2nd:

Jessee and Serruto both reached on singles to start the inning.

Cerny popped out to the catcher for the 1st out and runners still at 1st and 2nd.

Glasser flied out to CF with the runners holding and two outs.

Whalen K'd and IU missed out on a big scoring opportunity in this inning.

B2nd:

It's the 5-7 hitters up for the Illini. The leadoff hitter reached on a single.

Schroeder, who hit the 3-run homer to win the game last night, hit another 2-run homer to tie the game in a ball that barely stayed fair. It was Schroeder's 9th homer on the season.

Sinnard got a GO for the first out. Sinnard then got a K for the 2nd out.

Sinnard then walked the next batter to put a runner on with two outs.

It was the top of the order up for the Illini and Sinnard gave up a single to put runners on the corners and two outs. Sinnard then got a K looking to end the inning and limit the damage done.

IU 2 Illini 2

 

[ptrich]

3rd Inning:

T3rd:

It's the 3 thru 5 hitters up with Taylor leading off. Taylor went down swinging on three pitches.

Tibbitts singled to put a runner on with one out.

Tibbitts reached 2nd on a pickoff attempt that went as an error on the pitcher.

Mathison grounded out in a close play at 1st with Tibbitts reaching 3rd and two outs.

Pyne then clubbed a two out, two-run homer to LF to give IU a 4-2 lead.

Jessee singled to put a runner on with two outs. IU already has 8 hits on the game to 3 by the Illini.

Serruto then singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs and Cerny up.

Cerny grounded out in a close play at 1st to retire the side.

B3rd:

It's the 3 thru 5 hitters up for the Illini.

Sinnard gave up a single to the leadoff hitter.

Sinnard then walked a batter on four pitches.

Sinnard then got a DP ball to SS for two outs with a runner reaching 3rd.

A passed ball scored the runner from 3rd.

Sinnard then walked another batter on four pitches and Sinnard who did not have many walks coming in this game has given up 3 walks in 3 innings.

Another single put runners on the corners with two outs.

A WP scored the runner from 3rd and tied the game at 4-4 and a runner taking 2nd. Illinois has scored two runs on a passed ball and a WP.

A K ended a disaster of an inning for IU where mistakes let the Illini tie the game. This is not the Sinnard we have seen in past outings and he may not be long for this game.

IU 4 Illini 4

 

[ptrich]

4th Inning:

T4th:

It's the top of the order up with Glasser leading off.

Glasser singled to lead off.

Whalen was hit in the elbow with a pitch that had Whalen in a lot of pain, but he remained in the game and IU had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs with Taylor up.

Taylor flied out to LF with the runners holding and one out.

A RBI double by Tibbitts scored Glasser to give IU the lead back at 5-4 and runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out.

Mathison walked on four pitches to load the bases with one out and that chased the Illini starter.

Illinois brought in RHP TJ Constertina with an ERA of 4.15 in 17.1 IP and he gets Pyne to hit into a DP to leave the bases loaded, and IU missed out on what could have been a huge inning, but still grabbed a one-run lead.

B4th:

With Sinnard having an off game, IU brought in LHP Ryan Kraft with an ERA of 0.90 in 30 IP.

It's the 9, 1, and 2 hitters up, Kraft got the leadoff hitter on a ground out and it was the top of the order up.

Kraft then walked a batter on a full count to put a runner on with one out.

A base hit through the infield put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out and the meat of the order up for the Illini.

A grounder to 3B got the runner there for the 2nd out and runners at 1st and 2nd.

Glasser made a good play at SS to get the next hitter to end the inning.

IU 5 Illini 4

 

[ptrich]

5th Inning:

T5th:

It's the bottom of the order up for IU with Jessee leading off.

Jessee singled to lead off.

A FC got Jessee at 2nd with Serruto reaching 1st and one out.

Cerny then K'd to bring up the top of the order with two outs and a runner still at 1st. Cerny, who got off to a hot start at the plate to begin the season, seems to have hit that freshman wall at the plate right now.

Glasser got a two-out single to put runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs.

Whalen went full but K'd to retire the side leaving two runners on .

B5th:

Kraft faced the 5-7 hitters and he gave up a single to the leadoff hitter.

Schroeder who has had back-to-back homers counting the game winner last night, reaches 1st on a FC with the runner out at 2nd for the 1st out.

A lineout and a pop out ends the inning.

IU 5 Illini 4

 

[ptrich]

6th Inning:

T6th:

It's the 3-5 hitters up for IU with Taylor leading off. Taylor popped out for the first out.

Tibbitts clubbed a solo homer to LF to give IU a 6-4 lead. Tibbitts is 4 for 4 so far today.

Mathison K'd for the 2nd out and no one on. Pyne grounded out to retire the side.

B6th:

Kraft faced the 9, 1, and 2 hitters.

The leadoff hitter singled and the No. 9 hitter for Illinois is 1 for 2 so far. A ground out got the runner at 2nd with a runner at 1st and one out.

A single put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out and we are at the dangerous part of the Illini order.

A K got the 2nd out and Serruto caught the runner off 2nd and threw him out to end the inning.

IU 6 Illini 4

 

[ptrich]

7th Inning:

T7th:

With the bottom of the order up for IU, the Illini go to the bullpen and bring in LHP John Lundgren with an ERA of 6.75 in 13.1 IP.

Jessee grounded out to leadoff.

Serruto singled to put a man on with one out and Cerny up. Cerny flied out to RF for the 2nd out and the top of the order up for IU.

Glasser grounded out to retire the side.

B7th:

Kraft faced the 4-6 hitters. Kraft got the leadoff hitter on a lineout to Cerny.

Kraft then walked the next batter, but then got a DP ball to end the inning.

IU 6 Illini 4

 

[ptrich]

8th Inning:

T8th:

It's the 2-4 hitters up and Whalen flied out to leadoff.

Taylor reached on an infield single to put a runner on with one out.

Tibbitts K'd for the 2nd out and it was the first time in this game that Tibbitts has failed to get a hit.

Taylor was caught stealing to retire the side.

B8th:

It's the bottom of the order up for Illinois with Kraft back out on the mound.

Kraft got the leadoff hitter on a flyout.

A GO got the 2nd out, but the No. 9 hitter reached on a bunt single.

It was the top of the order up and Kraft got a flyout to end the inning.

IU 6 Illini 4

 

[ptrich]

9th Inning:

T9th:

It's the 5-7 hitters up for IU and IU went down in order, all on strikeouts.

B9th:

Kraft is back on the mound to hopefully close it out and he will be facing the dangerous part of the lineup in the 2 thru 4 hitters.

Kraft got the leadoff hitter on a foul out to 1B.

The next batter singled to put the tying run at the plate and one out.

Kraft then faced a home run hitter in Drake Wescott who has 9 homers on the season, and Kraft K'd him swinging for the 2nd out.

Kraft got another K to end the game and a really big outing by Kraft who went 6 IP and didn't give up a run.

IU 6 Illini 4 (Final)

 

[ptrich]

It seemed like IU should have scored more runs when you consider they had 16 hits with two doubles, a triple and two homers, but the Illini were able to limit our scoring chances despite that. However, it was a big win and IU now has a chance to take the series after the disappointing finish to the Friday game.

IU had five hitters with a multi-hit game:

Tibbitts has stayed red hot and he was 4 for 5 with a double and a homer and 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
Jessee was 3 for 4 hitting in the 7th spot but didn't have any RBIs or runs scored.
Serruto was 3 for 4 hitting in the 8th spot but also didn't have any RBIs or runs scored.
Taylor was 2 for 5 with a triple and a RBI and run scored.
Glasser was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Pyne was 1 for 5 with a two-run homer.

Illinois had the only error of the game

With another game to be played today, IU got through the game using just two pitchers, but they were two of IU's more dependable pitchers. Sinnard had an off game, but fortunately Kraft was on and he kept Illinois at bay.

Sinnard: 3 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs all earned, 5 Ks, 3 BBs, 1 WP, and 1 hit batter.
Kraft: 6 IP, 6 hits, no runs, 3 Ks, and 2 BBs and the rest of the slate was clean.

It was Coach Mercer's 200th career win.