In the most uneven affair this season, the University of Illinois baseball team manhandled the Blueboys of Illinois College 17-0.
It started in the third when Craig Lutes scored on a double steal. That run would be the first of eight in that frame. Daniel Webb contributed a 3-run homerun to boost the score. Ironically, Webb’s homer was the only one of the high-scoring game.
The Illini weren’t done yet. They scored two in the fourth and fifth each. By the sixth, they, Hartleb was bringing in the reserves. In spite of that they broke out for another big inning when John Schlichter (who was playing third base today) cracked a 3-run double. Add one more run when Ryan Hastings scored on a bases-loaded walk and you have a 4-run innings and a 16-0 game.
The Illini added just one more in the seventh for a final score of 17-0.
The pitching staff had no problem with the Blueboy offense. And by “staff”, that is no exaggeration. No less than seven pitchers took the mound tonight (none pitching more than 2 innings) all doing a superb job. Combined, the Illini pitching gave up only 4 hits and 2 walks.
Big hitters tonight:
John Schlichter: 4 for 5, 3 doubles, 2 runs, 4 rbis (His first start in a while. He wanted to impress.)
Daniel Webb: 2 for 3, HR, run, 4 rbis
Mike Giller: 2 for 4, 2 runs, rbi (again, Giller made the most of a rare start)
The Illini stole five bases tonight. Craig Lutes swiped two in the third inning alone.
Congrats to the Illini! This is just the confidence builder we’ll need when we (weather permitting) take on Big Ten leader Michigan this weekend.
Go Illini!