Illinois scores four in last-at bat to drop baseball Buckeyes
Davis Hendrickson provides game-winning hit for Illini (courtesy of Illinois athletics)
The Ohio State baseball team was leading 4-1 on Thursday against Illinois and all they needed was three outs and the game was theirs in the Big Ten Tournament.
But Illinois, the Big Ten co-champion of the regular season, had other ideas as they came up with a last at bat comeback win. The Illini scored four runs in the ninth inning for its 19th comeback win of the season and stunned the Buckeyes, 5-4 at Huntington Park.
The loss puts the Buckeyes into the elimination game against Minnesota.
The Buckeyes, who dropped to 26-26, had ridden the home run power of Brian DeLucia and Greg Solomon and another solid start from Brett McKinney to build a 4-1 lead going into the ninth inning.
But the Illini, facing OSU’s closer Josh Dezse for a second inning, started to time his pitches and bunched five hits and a walk to pull off its fifth consecutive last-at bat win. Davis Hendrickson hit the first pitch he saw from Andrew Armstrong into left field to score the winning run.
Info courtesy of Ohio State athletics
