Tom Tompkins has a short report from Lansing.
Your guys broke our hearts in the 1st game with those 4 runs in the final inning. It was fairly cold and windy, and we had a lengthy rain delay between games. We got great pitching from two freshman and a winning hit by Eric Roof in the second.
Illinois seems capable of having a memorable season. Good luck the rest of the way.
TT
When I’m presented with a possible four game weekend sweep, I get greedy. Still, with today’s split, Illinois goes 3-1 over MSU for the weekend and that is GREAT.
I’ll be honest… looking at the predictions and the pre-season reviews at the beginning of 2008, I was wondering if this just might be a rebuilding year for Illinois. Considering that they have won 9 of their last 11 games, they just may be for real in 2008.
Congrats to the team for a well-played series. It was a comeback game in Game 1 today. Down 3-1, the Illini came back to score four runs in the top of the last inning to win the game. Keyed by a double by Craig Lutes and singles by Daniel Webb, Mike Giller, Brandon Wikoff and a walk by Kyle Hudson, that was all they needed to put Game 1 in the books, winning 5-3. Scott Shaw pitched a complete game allowing just 2 earned runs.
The Illini came back from a 1-0 deficit in Game 2 but unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the story. Jonathan Roof scored an unearned run in the 5th inning to tie the game and in the 8th, his brother Eric Roof drove home Kyle Day on a single.
Illinois’ Aaron Martin had his scoreless inning streak broken at the outset when MSU scored in the first but he didn’t pitch badly. He allowed 2 ER in 7 IP. His summer league teammate Ben Reeser came in to pitch the last 2/3 innings and allowed a hit and a walk. Final Score: MSU 3 Illinois 2
Up next: The “official” home opener on April 2 against St Louis. Wear your Orange and Blue and get out there!!