April 21, 2007
IOWA CITY – University of Iowa senior shortstop Jason White used a career day, including a walk-off home run, to power the Hawkeyes to a 10-9 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini Saturday afternoon in game one of a scheduled doubleheader. Iowa ups its record to 16-15 (5-8), while Illinois falls to 17-15 (7-5).
With the score tied 9-9 and one out in the bottom of the seventh, White lifted a towering fly ball into leftfield. Illinois left fielder Ryan Snowden drifted back to the warning track, only to watch the ball bounce off the top of the fence and end the game.
He ended the day 3-of-4 with three home runs and four RBIs.
Iowa started out with a bang, getting a leadoff home run from White. The Hawkeyes then stretched their lead to 3-0 with a pair in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded and two outs, Travis Sweet brought home a run by taking one for the team, then Dusty Napoleon forced a run home by drawing a walk.
Illinois struck back in the top of the third with four runs. Lars Davis and Mike Rohde each had RBIs, and the Fighting Illini plated two on a dropped fly ball with two outs.
The Hawkeyes responded with four of their own in the bottom of the inning, using a two-out, two-run single from Justin Toole and a two-run homer from White.
Illinois re-took the lead with another four-run inning in the top of the fourth. A throwing error opened the door for the big inning, and two of the Fighting Illini runs were unearned.
Matt Wooldrik tied the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the fourth by plating Caleb Curry (3-of-4, HR) with an RBI double, but Illinois came back with a two-out run in the top of the fifth.
The Fighting Illini brought in their closer Jake Toohey in the bottom of the sixth, but Curry welcomed him with a game-tying home run over the left field fence. Illinois threatened in the top of the seventh with a runner on third, but back-to-back strikeouts from Hawkeye closer Mike Schurz turned Illinois away to set up White’s heroics.
GAME SUMMARYIllinois 004 410 0 -- 9 9 0Iowa 124 101 1 -- 10 12 2
WP - Mike Schurz (4-1)LP - Jake Toohey (0-1)="http:>