Michigan State University
Illinois
Baseball Falls In Big Ten Conference Opener
3/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 23, 2001
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Michigan State baseball team (8-8, 0-1) fell to Illinois (9-9, 1-0) on Friday (Mar. 23) by a score of 10-1, in its conference opener. The Illini got a strong performance from pitcher Andy Dickinson, who pitched a complete game and gave up just three hits.
The Illini overwhelmed the Spartans in the first inning, scoring eight runs off six hits. Illinois was able score their first two runs off a costly Spartan error and then score twice more off two consecutive RBI singles. Andy Hilligoss then hit a three-run homer, followed two batters later by a solo home run by Brady Ballard.
Illinois added another run in the fifth and another in the seventh, to go ahead 10-0.
The Spartans were unable to generate any offense through most of the game, getting just one hit through the first eight innings. In the ninth inning, Chris McCuiston (Jr., Birmingham) singled and then scored when Kevin Crews (Jr., Hinckley, Ohio) doubled to left field, to make the final score 10-1.
After giving up eight runs in the first, starting pitcher Dylan Putnam (Jr., Ann Arbor) settled down, allowing just one hit and struck out six through the next five innings.
The two teams will face-off again Saturday (March 24) in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. CST with Kyle Geswein (Jr., Dayton, Ohio) and Nick Bates (Jr., Blissfield) scheduled to pitch for the Spartans.
Illinois 10, Michigan State 1Score By Innings R H EMichigan State 000 000 001 1 3 1Illinois 800 010 10x 10 10 0
WP- Dickinson (4-0)LP- Putnam (1-3)
