Michigan State University
Illinois
Spartans Drop Doubleheader at Illinois
3/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2009
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Michigan State baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Illinois, 3-2 and 3-0, on a cold, snowy day in Champaign, Ill., on Sunday (March 29). Rain caused the cancellation of Saturday's game, forcing the schools to play two on Sunday in less than ideal conditions.
In game one, with runners on the corners and no outs in the bottom of the second inning, Illinois looked poised put the Spartans in an early hole. MSU starter A.J. Achter got the next two batters to strike out and it looked as though the Spartans would get out of the inning unblemished but a double by Illinois' Josh Parr down the left field line drove in a run to give the Illini a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth frame, the strong wind - gusting as high as 35 m.p.h. - turned a deep drive by Craig Lutes into a leadoff triple. Lutes would eventually score on a sacrifice fly later in the inning. With a runner and third and one out, Achter was able to retire the final two batters to keep MSU within striking distance at 2-0.
The Spartans threatened in the fifth after Jonathan Roof reached on a fielder's choice and worked his way over to third with a pair of stolen bases but was left stranded when Illinois pitcher Bryan Roberts got a strikeout and ground out to end the inning.
MSU got on the board in the sixth after a Seth Williams leadoff double to right center field. Williams later scored off a sacrifice fly by Jeff Holm to make the score 2-1.
The Spartans fought back to knot the game at two in the top of the eighth after Brandon Eckerle and Jeff Holm reached with consecutive singles. A sac fly by Eli Boike later drove in Eckerle.
In the bottom of the ninth, the first two Illini batters reached and later, with the bases loaded and two outs, MSU reliever Kurt Wunderlich hit Dominic Altobeli to bring in the winning run.
Achter went 5.0 innings, gave up four hits, two runs and struck out five. Wunderlich suffered the loss in 3.2 innings of work and allowed three hits while striking out two.
With the precipitation mostly ended prior to the start of game two, the Spartans had the game's first opportunity to take the lead when they loaded the bases in the top of the second inning but couldn't drive in any runs. MSU starting pitcher Kyle Corcoran and the Spartan defense returned the favor in the bottom of the second when the Illini put three runners on base with one out, but pop foul and ground out to Holm at first base kept the game scoreless.
Altobelli gave Illinois a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer that just cleared the left field wall.
Illinois extended its lead to 3-0 in the fourth off an RBI triple by Josh Parr.
Will Strack, who started on the mound for Illinois, pitched a complete game and limited MSU to just one base runner over the final four innings.
Michigan State returns to action on Tuesday (March 31) when it takes on Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., at 6:05 p.m. ET.
