4/3- Pair of 4-Hit Games Not Enough for #26 Illini in Loss to Hoosiers Wikoff

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - No. 26 Illinois grabbed an early lead but Indiana never looked back after a five-run third inning on the way to a 14-4 Hoosier win at Illinois Field. Shortstop Brandon Wikoff and third baseman Dominic Altobelli each recorded four hits but Indiana scored in six innings to snap the Illinis third five-game winning streak of 2009. The teams return to action Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at noon. The teams will play a pair of nine-inning games in an attempt to avoid the impending rain on Sunday. "We didnt pitch or play defense well tonight," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "We were behind in the count and that will get you in trouble against a good hitting team like Indiana." Indiana drew first blood with a run in the first when All-American catcher Josh Phegley drew a two-out walk and scored when DH Alex Dickersons single skipped under left fielder Casey McMurrays glove for a 1-0 lead. McMurray bounced back in the bottom half with a one-out double to left and shortstop Brandon Wikoff drove him in with a base hit. Wikoff stole second and came home when catcher Aaron Johnson doubled over the center fielders head for a 2-1 advantage. The Hoosiers tied the score in the second on a double, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly, and pulled ahead for good with a five-run third inning on five hits and two walks, going up 7-2. Illinois got a run back in the bottom half when Wikoff singled to right and moved tot hird on third baseman Dominic Altobellis double to the corner in right. Wikoff scampered home when Johnson was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike, sliding just under the tag and cutting Indianas lead to 7-3. IU added two runs in the fourth on Phegleys solo homer and an RBI single by shortstop Jake Dunning to move ahead 9-3. Reliever Lee Zerrusen pitched scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth, but the Hoosiers tacked on two more runs in the seventh on a pair of hit batters, a sacrifice fly and two hits to increase their lead to 11-3. After Phegley added a three-run homer in the top of the ninth, the Illini got a run back in the bottom half. Pinch hitter Daniel Parker laced a one-out single into right and moved to second on Wikoffs fourth hit of the night. Altobelli beat out a slow chopper to the shortstop for his fourth hit of the game to load the bases and Parker scored on catcher Adam Davis groundout, making the final score 14-4. Wikoff finished the night 4-for-5 with an RBI, a steal and two runs, and Altobelli went 4-for-5 with a double. Johnson was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI to raise his season average to .390.