Ohio State
Illinois
Ohio State Falls to Illinois, 9-1, in Opener – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/20/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 20, 2012
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Ohio State baseball team dropped a 9-1 decision to Illinois on a blustery Friday evening at Illinois Field. With the loss, Ohio State falls to 21-17 on the season, 6-7 in Big Ten play, while Illinois improves to 21-16, 4-6 in conference.
Ohio State put runners on first and second in the top of the third after Kirby Pellant singled and Tim Wetzel walked with one down but Illinois starter Kevin Johnson was able to strike out Ryan Cypret and Brad Hallberg to end the threat.
Illinois was then able to get on the board in an eventful bottom of the third. Jaron Long retired the first two batters of the inning before issuing a walk to leadoff hitter Thomas Lindauer. With Lindauer on first and two down, the lights went out at Illinois Field and forced an 18-minute delay. When the lights came back on, Long made an errant pickoff throw to first that got under the glove of Josh Dezse and allowed Lindauer to go to second before Willie Argo singled through the left side to give the Fighting Illini the 1-0 lead.
Ohio State tied it in the top of the fifth when Cypret drove in Mike Carroll with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly after Carroll had singled to lead off the inning.
However, Illinois took the lead right back in the bottom of the inning when Kelly Norris-James singled to center to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a throwing error by Greg Solomon on a sacrifice bunt attempt and scored on an RBI groundout by Argo.
Ohio State threatened in the top of the sixth when Dezse walked to lead off the inning and advanced to third with two down. Carroll then drilled a shot into the gap in right-center but right fielder Davis Hendrickson came over to make a great diving grab to preserve the Illinois lead.
Illinois then used four singles and an RBI groundout in the bottom of the frame to push the lead to 5-1 after six frames.
The Fighting Illini broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh against Ohio State reliever Trace Dempsey. Norris-James scored Hendrickson with an RBI single and Thomas Shelton provided the big blow with a three-run shot to right-center to make it 9-1.
Dezse, Carroll, Solomon and Pellant each had a hit for the Buckeyes.
Johnson earned the win for Illinois, allowing the one earned run while striking out five over 7.2 innings pitched.
The Buckeyes and Fighting Illini meet in the middle game of the three-game set at 4:05 p.m. ET Saturday.
GAME NOTES
– The game was delayed 18 minutes during the third inning after all of the lights went out.
– Josh Dezse has reached base safely in 37 of 38 contests this season.
