Bill Charvat ropes a double in the ninth inning
It was a rematch with the Bradley Braves tonight and coincidentally the score was the same as last week’s game. Unfortunately, the victor was not. Bradley came out on top, 6-3.
When I arrived to the park from work around the fifth inning, things were pretty dire. Looking at the scoreboard, I saw that the Illini batters had yet to get a hit. Yikes! They soon rectified that in the fifth when Jordan Parr doubled and Davis Hendrickson singled him in making it a slim 2-1 game.
I didn’t get much of a chance to see starter Nick Chmielewski. After he gave up a homerun, the third run of the game for Bradley, he was yanked. Ronnie Muck took over for him. Muck finished out the sixth inning but took it on the chin in the seventh giving up three runs, two of them earned.
By the bottom of the ninth, it was 6-1 and it looked like the Illini were out of it. That’s what makes bottom of ninth’s so fun. No, we didn’t win. But we managed to make it interesting by at least getting the tying run at the plate. A Brandon Hohl single, a Bill Charvat double a walk and a Reid Roper double and it was pretty darn close.
Matt Milroy put in a scoreless inning of relief work
Chmielewski gets the loss. He’s 1-1 for the year. Luke Joyce and Matt Milroy both pitched scoreless innings.
Random Ramblings
Has anyone tried the Virtual Dugout app that the Illini has been touting? I’ve been trying it and to be honest, it’s a bit buggy for me. I’m using an Android phone and the app is force closing on me an awful lot? Anyone else having luck?
I got to sit by my friend John Santas for the last inning of today’s game. John is one of the biggest Illinois Baseball fans out there and is a rep for the Dugout Club. I love his folksy baseball wit. If Illinois baseball radio is looking for another guest color person, try John. I’d love to hear him.
I’ve uploaded some photos from today to the IBR photo gallery.
Next Up
Second place Indiana rolls into town this weekend for the home conference opener. Friday’s game is at 6:05pm.