Baseball sweeps OSU

Illinois´ Toby Gardenhire turns a double play against Ohio State at Illinois Field on Friday. This weekend marked the first time that Illinois has swept a four-game series against the Buckeyes. The Illini improved to 4-0 in Big Ten competition and 1 Online Poster

Illinois´ Toby Gardenhire turns a double play against Ohio State at Illinois Field on Friday. This weekend marked the first time that Illinois has swept a four-game series against the Buckeyes. The Illini improved to 4-0 in Big Ten competition and 1 Online Poster

By Lucas Deal

For the first time ever, the Illinois baseball team swept a four-game series against the Ohio State Buckeyes over the weekend.

The Illini used fantastic starting pitching and several big hits to win the series and improved their record to 14-5-1 and 4-0 in the Big Ten. The sweep ended the Buckeyes’ ten-game winning streak and dropped their record to 13-8 (0-4).

Head coach Itch Jones was impressed by his team’s play, but having already won the series on Saturday, feared a letdown in the finale.

“Let’s try not to come out 3-1, we already got three,” Jones told his team before the last game, played Sunday. “That’s history, that we got if we don’t even show up at the ballpark. But when you get the chance to win four, you got to take advantage of it.”

The Illini opened the series well Friday, breaking open a close game with a five-run seventh inning, leading to a 7-1 victory. Senior second baseman J.R. Kyes based the Illini attack, going two-for-four with two runs and two RBIs.

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
Thank you for subscribing!

With the Illini clinging to a 2-1 lead in the seventh, junior catcher Chris Robinson and senior third baseman Chad Frk each singled with one out.

After a fly out by designated hitter Chase Kliment, junior right-fielder Trevor Huisinga singled to drive in Robinson to make it 3-1. Junior shortstop Toby Gardenhire then singled, and Kyes followed him up with a two-run triple to right field, and then left-fielder Ryan Rogowski drove in Kyes to end the scoring.

Junior Brian Blomquist went the distance for the Illini, allowing only seven hits and a walk while improving his record to 5-1.

In the first game of Saturday’s double-header, the Illini picked up right where they left off, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first and cruising to a 4-1 win.

Kyes reached on an error, and with one out Robinson doubled. Senior first baseman Dusty Bensko then laced a double down the third base line, making it 2-0. Centerfielder Drew Davidson was then hit by a pitch, and designated hitter Mike Rohde doubled to make it 4-0.

Kyes and Gardenhire each finished the game with two hits, while Davidson reached base three times, all off hit-by-pitches.

Senior Jim Conroy got the win for the Illini, going all seven innings while allowing one run on three hits, improving his record to a perfect 4-0.

In the nightcap, the Illini again got off to another quick start, scoring two runs in the first, one off a double by Davidson and another from a fielder’s choice by Bensko.

Still up 2-0 in the fourth, Kyes got a fly ball into the jet stream, and it carried out for a three-run homer, the first of his Illinois career.

“They had been working me in,” he said. “Then they started working me away when I pulled the first pitch so I was kind of looking away for something up that I could drive. I didn’t think I’d hit it out, but, you’ll take that.”

After junior starter Matt Whitmore loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the sixth, sophomore closer Jake Toohey was brought in.

He quickly gave up a grand slam to Buckeyes’ first baseman Paul Farinacci, but regrouped in the seventh, and held on for the 5-4 win.

Going for the sweep on Sunday, the Illini pitching staff finally started to tire.

“It’s always nice to go to the ballpark being up 3-0,” Jones said after the double-header win. “You can gamble a little more, you can take more chances to try to do something.”

After Davidson and Benkso gave Illinois a 2-0 first inning lead with a pair of RBI singles, the Buckeyes began to battle back. They got a run in the second off an error by Huisinga and scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth, taking a 4-3 lead.

The Illini quickly responded, scoring a run off a Kliment triple and an error on Ohio State second baseman Jason Zoeller.

The game remained scoreless until the ninth, when Rogowski singled with one out, bringing Davidson to the plate. Already 3-3 with two RBIs on the day, Davidson kept his hot streak going, blasting a two-run homer to right center and sending the Illini to the sweep.

Toohey got the win in relief, going four innings and allowing only one hit.

Even on a hot streak like this, Jones knows his team has to keep it up to stay on top in the conference.

“After this week we have 28 games to go,” Jones said. “Don’t judge the whole season on this weekend, if we go 1-3, 3-1, 2-2, whatever happens don’t worry about it, because we have 28 more games to go, and we just got to go play them one at a time.”