Courtesy: Central Connecticut State University Schillaci drove in five runs on Monday

Senior outfielder Jay Schillaci drove in five runs as the Central Connecticut baseball team topped #25 Illinois 11-9 on Monday in Winter Haven, FL.  The win is the second straight vs. Illinois and the third straight over a Big Ten team for the Blue Devils.  CCSU is now 7-3 overall on the season after winning its fourth straight.  The Blue Devils and Fighting Illini will play a final game on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.

The Blue Devils got on the board first with an unearned run in the top of the second inning.  Sophomore Pat Epps, who reached on an error, scored on a double play ball hit by freshman Mitch Wells to give CCSU a 1-0 lead. 

Illinois wasted little time tying the score.  They scored a run in the bottom of the inning off of Blue Devil freshman starter Todd Savatsky, who was making his first start in a Central Connecticut uniform.

Two more runs in the top of the third inning gave the Blue Devils a 3-1 lead.  Catcher Sean Connors reached on an error and with one out junior Richie Tri walked.  Both scored on a double to left center by senior Jay Schillaci.

The Illini scored a run in the fourth inning to cut the Blue Devil lead to 3-2.

Savatsky left the game after pitching five innings and allowing only two runs on five hits while striking out one.  It was his first start of the season and third appearance for the Blue Devils.  He walked one and faced only 20 batters in his five innings while retiring the side in order twice.

Illinois took a 6-3 lead with three runs off of Blue Devil relievers Tyler Riordan and Jordan Knight in the sixth inning.  Another run in the seventh made it 7-3 in favor of Illinois.

In the top of the eighth the Blue Devils loaded the bases with no outs on a walk to Epps, a fielding error on a grounder by junior Tommy Meade and a single through the left side by senior Casey Walko.  Wells walked to drive in a run and make it 7-4.  Senior Sean Parker's pinch hit sacrifice fly to center field scored the second run of the inning and cut it to 7-5.  Connors singled to reload the bases and a wild pitch scored Walko, the third run of the inning.  Junior Sean Allaire, this week's Northeast Conference Player of the Week, walked to load the bases for the third time in the inning.  Tri walked, scoring the fourth run of the inning, and tying the score at 7-7.  Schillaci hit a three-run double, he was thrown out at third trying to stretch it to a triple, gave the Blue Devils back the lead 10-7.  He had five RBI in the game.  Epps was thrown out trying to score later in the inning to end the rally.

The Fighting Illini scored a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to two but the Blue Devils put up another run in the ninth to up the lead to 11-8.  Pat Robinson's RBI double with two outs completed the scoring for CCSU.

Illinois hit a solo home run in the ninth to cut the final score to 11-9.

Schillaci led the offense with his five RBI and pair of doubles.  He had three hits in the game and has driven in seven runs in the two wins vs. Illinois in the last two days.  Robinson picked up the win on the mound in relief for the Blue Devils.  He pitched 2.1 innings allowing two runs on three hits while striking out one.  He also drove in a run in his first at-bat of the season.

The Blue Devils and Illini will finish their three-game series with a single game beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning in Winter Haven.