4/12-Argo's 3 RBI lead Illini to 11-5 win

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Illinois pounded out a season-high 19 hits, came back from an early 2-0 deficit and used a four-run eighth inning to down Michigan 11-5 and win the weekend series at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. DH Willie Argo (Davenport, Iowa) had a career day, going 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, and first baseman Matt Dittman (Libertyville, Ill.) finished an excellent weekend by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two of six Illini who had multiple hits on the afternoon. "This is two days in a row that weve been down early and had our backs against the wall a little bit, and we responded well both times," Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. "We swung the bats well and when we do that were a tough team to beat. To me, the most important thing was that every time we scored, our pitchers went out and put up a zero to let us get back up to the plate." Michigan scored first for the third time in the series, pushing across two runs in the first inning on a walk, a single and a two-run double by first baseman Mike Dufek for an early 2-0 lead. But the Orange and Blue battled back with a three-spot in the second inning. Catcher Aaron Johnson (Sussex Corner, New Brunswick) pulled a single through the left side and first baseman Matt Dittman (Libertyville, Ill.) singled through the right side. Right fielder Pete Cappetta (Lisle, Ill.) walked to load the bases and Argo laced a single to center to score Johnson. Second baseman Josh Parr (Chillicothe, Ill.) poked a single through the right side to bring home Dittman, and center fielder Joe Bonadonna (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Cappetta for a 3-2 lead. The Wolverines threatened in the third when leadoff hitter Kevin Cislo and Kenny Fellows strung together consecutive singles and center fielder Ryan LaMarre was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Starter Bryan Roberts (Lisle, Ill.) induced a double play to Wikoff at short that brought home a run, but he got another groundout to Wikoff to end the inning with the score tied at 3. Dittman led off the fourth with a single to left and Cappetta followed with another base hit to left, which Fellows mishandled as Dittman cruised into third base, allowing Cappetta to move up a station. Argo poked a single to right, bringing home Dittman, and Cappetta scored on a double play to push Illinois back on top, 5-3. Michigan fought back to tie the game once again in the fifth when LaMarre reached on an infield single with two outs and first baseman Mike Dufek blasted the first pitch he saw to deep center field for a two-run homer, drawing the contest even at 5. Illinois grabbed the lead once again in the seventh inning when Parr hit a one-out double and Bonadonna reached on a fielding error by the third baseman. Parr moved up a station but Bonadonna was put out at second on left fielder Casey McMurrays (Willow Springs, Ill.) fielders choice ground ball, and Wikoff pulled a single through the right side to bring home Parr for a 6-5 lead. Aaron Martin relieved Roberts in the bottom of the seventh and worked around a pair of singles, coaxing two flyouts to end the inning. Then the floodgates opened for the Illini as they scored four in the eighth. Johnson laced a single through the right side and Dittman moved him to third with a single to right. Cappetta blooped an RBI single that fell between the right fielder and second baseman and scored Johnson, and Argo collected his career-best fourth hit of the day when he lined a double inside first base to drive home Dittman. One out later, Bonadonna lifted a sacrifice fly to left, plating Cappetta, and McMurray singled to shortstop to move Argo to third. Wikoff then tapped a ball toward third that he beat out for an RBI infield hit as Argo scampered home to push the Illini lead to 10-5. Martin set down the Wolverines in order in the eighth inning with two strikeouts and Dittman drew a one-out walk in the ninth. Cappetta singled to center and Argo beat out the double-play turn to put runners on the corners with two outs. Argo advanced to second on a passed ball and both runners scored on another passed ball as Illinois made the score 11-5. Martin gave up a leadoff in the bottom of the ninth but induced a liner to Altobelli and a 5-4-3 double play to end the game for his second save of the year. On the day, Cappetta tied his career high with three hits in four at bats, driving in one and scoring three times, and Johnson was 3-for-5 with two runs. Wikoff went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base to raise his average to .412 on the season. For the weekend, Dittman hit .545 (6-for-11) with a double and a home run for a .909 slugging percentage and a .615 on-base percentage, driving in four runs and scoring four. Johnson went 4-for-11 (.364) with a double, an RBI and four runs, and Argo hit .357 (5-for-14) with a double, three RBIs and two runs. Cappetta was 3-for-7 (.429) with an RBI, three walks and four runs in just two games. On the mound, Martin and Will Strack both earned saves as Martin threw three scoreless innings and Strack fired 2 2/3 shutout frames. Strack struck out three and Martin fanned two. Lee Zerrusen gave 5 1/3 solid innings of relief on Saturday to earn a win and Corey Kimes retired both hitters he faced on Friday. Up Next: Illinois returns home for a Tuesday evening contest with No. 26 Eastern Illinois at 6:05 p.m. EIU has won 14 of its last 15, including a 30-3 drubbing of Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. The Illini then travel to Marion, Ill., on Wednesday to face Southern Illinois at Rent One Park, home of the Frontier Leagues Southern Illinois Miners. That game also begins at 6:05 p.m.