Illinois Takes Game One of Doubleheader vs. Ohio State 4-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 24, 2003
Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. – Illinois scored two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to get past Ohio State with a 4-1 victory in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader Monday at IMG Academy.
Christian Snavely (Jr., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) gave the Buckeyes the early 1-0 lead with his third home run of the season, a shot over the fence in left-centerfield. But that was the only run the Buckeyes, who out hit the Illini 7-6 would get in the game.
Illinois took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, getting three straight hits off OSU starter Josh Newman (Jr., Wheelersburg, Ohio/Wheelersburg). Brandon Cashman singled through the left side to lead off the inning and then was hit in by Andy Schutzenhofe’s double to right-centerfield. A base hit up the middle by Dusty Bensko scored Schutzenhofe to give the Illini a one-run lead.
Illinois benefited from two Ohio State errors in the fifth inning to add another pair of runs and take a 4-1 lead. T.F. Meagher led off the inning with a single and then advanced to third on a throwing error by Newman, who was fielding Patrick’s grounder attempting the force out at second. The throw went into shallow centerfield and put runners at second and third. The second error by catcher Derek Kinnear (Jr., Kenton, Ohio/Kenton) allowed Meagher to score and then a sacrifice fly by Cashman netted the fourth Illini run of the game.
Ohio State had its chances in the game but stranded a pair of runners in the second and fourth innings. Drew Anderson (So., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) was stranded at third base in the second after a base hit by Kinnear and a ground out by Drew Thomas (Fr., Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Briggs). In the fourth, Paul Farinacci (So., Westlake Village, Calif./Agoura) was left just 90 feet from hom on a double by Kinnear. The Buckeyes again threatened in the bottom of the seventh after a base hit by Anderson to lead off the inning. He moved to third on a pair of wild pitches, but a ground out and two strikeouts ended the game.
Newman went the distance in the seven-inning game, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits. He had five strikeouts but fell to 1-2 on the season. Ted Rowe got the win for the Illini to move to 2-1 on the season
Anderson and Kinnear each went 2-for-3 to lead Ohio State at the plate, while Cashman was 2-for-2 for Illinois.
