May 22, 2005
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – The University of Iowa baseball team defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini, 7-1, Sunday at Illinois Field. The win moves Iowa to 28-27 overall and 19-13 in the Big Ten, which gives them the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament next week. The Hawkeyes will play sixth-seeded Minnesota Wednesday at 3:35 p.m. in Champaign, IL. Despite the loss, Illinois clinched the Big Ten regular season title when second-place Purdue lost to Indiana this afternoon.
Freshman hurler David Conroy pitched a fantastic game Sunday, allowing just four hits and one run over six and a third innings. He picked up his first collegiate win, and his record now stands at 1-1.
The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a two-out, two-run triple off the bat of senior catcher Kris Welker. Welker ended the day 3-of-5 with three RBIs.
Iowa added another run in the fourth on a Travis Sweet single, then took the score to 5-0 in the fifth in an RBI double from Welker and a run-scoring base hit from Andy Cox.
The Illini finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Toby Gardenhire on a base hit to center. Iowa got the run right back in the sixth when Nate Price singled, stole second, moved to third on a ground ball and score on an infield single by Andy Lytle.
Price then put the icing on the cake in the top of the eighth with a solo home run, taking the score to 7-1. It was the junior outfielder’s second home run of the season.
Tim Gudex closed out the game for Iowa, allowing just one baserunner in the final two innings. He ends the 2005 Big Ten season with a 1.11 ERA.
“I am really proud of how our guys played this weekend,” Head Coach Jack Dahm said. “We could have easily rolled over after losing Saturday, but the guys fought back and took the series from a very good team. This is the kind of weekend that can help us not only at the Big Ten Tournament, but further down the road as well.”
GAME SUMMARYIOWA 200 121 010 -- 7 13 1Illinois 000 010 000 -- 1 7 1
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