May 22, 2004
IOWA CITY – The Hawkeyes scored nine runs on nine hits to come from behind and beat Illinois, 9-8, in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader at Duane Banks Field. Iowa trailed by four runs after four, but a fifth-inning rally saw the offense put a six spot on the scoreboard to grab the lead.
After keeping Illinois off the scoreboard for the first inning in the game in the top of the fifth, the Hawkeyes sent 11 batters to the plate to take an 8-6 lead. Junior Andy Cox doubled down the left field line to start things off and L.J. Mims reached on a bunt single to put a pair of runners on the base paths. White followed with a two-run triple to the centerfield wall and Andy Lytle collected the fourth straight hit off Illinois starter Tim Gorski with an RBI single up the middle.
The Hawkeyes continued their rally as Jim Reid reached on a throwing error by Gorski and Nate Yoho walked to load the bases. Kris Welker evened the score at six with a sacrifice fly to right field and freshman Jeff Engel put the Hawkeyes on top with an RBI groundout to second base. Luis Andrulonis, the ninth batter of the inning, gave Iowa the two-run lead with an RBI single to left field.
Illinois wasted little time in evening the score in the top of the sixth after Ryan Rogowski and Chad Frk got things going with back-to-back singles. Reliever Tim Gudex had Rogowski picked off when he was trying to swipe third, but the throw sailed down the left field line allowing a run to score and Frk to move from first to third base. Chris Robinson followed with an RBI infield single to make the affair a whole new ball game.
Iowa used a little small ball take the one-run lead in the bottom of the frame. White walked to leadoff the inning and moved to second on a Lytle sacrifice bunt. Reid extended his hitting streak to nine games on a rocket to first base that was knocked down by Dusty Bensko to keep White from scoring. Yoho came through to give the Hawkeyes the lead when he drove in White after beating out the throw at first on what could have been the inning ending 4-6-3 double play.
Gudex retired the side in order in the seventh, including a sweeping curve ball to strike out Trevor Huisinga looking to end the game. The win is the southpaw’s third this season.
Illinois pushed runs across the plate in the opening four frames off Iowa starter Austin Seward. In the third, Drew Davidson continued to swing a hot bat as the leftfielder hit a two-out RBI single to centerfield to put the Fighting Illini up 3-0.
Iowa got its first hit of the game in the bottom of the third off Gorski. The righthander plunked Mims with one out and the sophomore centerfielder scored on White’s single thru the middle to trim the Fighting Illini lead to two runs.
Illinois got the run back and then some in the fourth. The Hawkeyes committed a pair of errors and Robinson hit a two-run single to right field to stretch the lead to five runs.
The Hawkeyes answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Yoho extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single through the left side and crossed the plate on a Welker double to the warning track in left field to make the score 6-2.
White was the only Hawkeye with more than one hit in the contest as he swung a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk.
The Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini will round out the season tomorrow afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. Prior the game, Iowa will honor its senior class with a short ceremony.