Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois
Wildcat Seven-Run Third Inning Downs Illinois, 7-3
4/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Illinois Box Score in PDF Format
Northwestern opened Saturday's twinbill against Illinois with a 7-3 win at Rocky Miller Park in Evanston, Ill. The 'Cats used a seven-run third inning to extend its winning streak to two games, improving to 16-16 overall, 8-8 in the Big Ten.
Illinois took the early lead as third-baseman Chad Frk hit his first home run of the season over the right-field fence.
NU answered in the third, scoring seven runs on five hits and one Illini error. The Wildcats loaded the bases twice in the inning, as center-fielder David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) hit a two-RBI double down the right-field line. It was Gresky's 10th double of the season and second of the series. First-baseman Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) and designated hitter Stanley Finch (Lubbock, Texas/Cooper) followed with RBI singles. The Illinois error proved costly, allowing NU to clear the bases when Brandon Ackley's (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) fly ball to right field glanced off the fielder's glove.
Illinois scored its second run of the game as Wildcat starter J.A. Happ (Peru, Ill./St. Ignatius) served up a bases-loaded walk in the top of the fifth inning. Happ did record all three outs of the inning via strikeout. Happ struck out 10 Illini in the game, tying a career high.
Illinois scored their final run as catcher Ken Padgett's (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) throw to second base on an attempted steal, glanced off shortstop Jon Mikrut's (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) glove, allowing the Illini runner on third to cross the plate.
Happ improved to 6-3 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.82.
