Why is this man smiling?
Because today, he got a lot of offensive support. As a result, Illinois defeated Michigan 9-2. Kevin Johnson pitched a gem Friday afternoon striking out eight Wolverine batters. It was a complete game giving the bullpen some rest. Johnson’s win today was only his second despite a nifty 3.16 ERA.
Kevin is probably grateful to his fellow Illini in the lineup. They came through and scored nine runs in the third and fourth innings taking the pressure off of him. Eight Illinois starters got at least one hit. Casey McMurray’s one hit was a triple that drove in two runs in the six-run third inning. Pete Cappetta, who was the leadoff man, not only banged out a double, he also coaxed three walks and scored twice. Hot hitters Adam Davis, Thomas Lindauer and Justin Parr also collected two hits.
Speaking of Parrs, I noticed that Josh Parr made an appearance today. He pinch hit in the ninth and even stayed to play second base in the bottom of the inning. That’s great news!
Tomorrow’s game against Michigan begins at 2:05pm . John Anderson is the scheduled starter.
[Update] the Saturday game was postponed due to rain. Both teams hope to make up the game by playing a doubleheader on Sunday. Scheduled game time for the first game is 11am.