TicketsFeb. 19, 2011
CLEARWATER, Fla. - On the second day of the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge, the University of Cincinnati baseball team fell to the University of Illinois 7-3 Saturday at Jack Russell Stadium.
A day after they exploded for 18 hits in an 11-5 win over Ohio State University, the Bearcats could not continue their offensive prowess as Illinois pitching limited UC to four hits.
Cincinnati took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning after junior first baseman Nic Spence (Victoria, Australia/St. Josephs) hit an RBI single to score junior catcher Jake Saylor (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton).
The Fighting Illini responded in the bottom of the second by scoring four runs off of four hits and a UC throwing error during a double-steal play. Illinois then scored three more runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-1 lead.
After overcoming a 5-0 deficit Friday against OSU, the Bearcats attempted to make a second comeback in as many days. After freshman OF/DH Justin Glass (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) walked and senior OF Justin Riddell (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic) singled to right field in the top of the sixth inning, Saylor laced a doubled to left field to bring home two runs.
Neither team would score again, as UC's LHP Jason Pascuzzi (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) and Illinois's RHP Chris Pack, who was credited with a save, put up zeros the rest of the way.
Cincinnati concludes the 2011 BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge with a 1 p.m. game vs. Michigan State on Sunday at Jack Russell Stadium.