CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina opened a 5-0 lead through three innings Sunday and held off the Illinois baseball team, 12-4, at Springs Brooks Stadium. The Illini finished the weekend's Coastal Carolina invitational with four straight losses after entering on a three-game winning streak.
Illinois (6-7) cut Coastal's leads to 5-3 and 7-4 with the help of Pat McInerney's second straight two-hit game and freshman Jalin McMillan's first career home run, but the Chanticleers continued to pull away on the strength of four home runs. McMillan finished with two hits off the bench and Adam Walton went 2 for 4 with a run in the leadoff spot to lead Illinois.
Coastal Carolina (9-7) swept the Illini in the two-game series to take a 4-3 lead in the all-time series dating back to 2010.
Illinois was faced with an early deficit when Coastal rallied for four runs with two outs in the first inning and Connor Owings hit a solo homer in the fourth. The Fighting Illini cut into the lead with two runs in their half of the fourth, but a two-run homer to the opposite field by G.K. Young.
Michael Paez added a three-run home run in the 8th inning and Zach Remillard capped CCU's scoring with a solo homer two batters later.
Andrew Mamlic (1-2) lasted the first 5.0 innings, while allowing seven runs on 10 hits and striking out four. Matthew James came out of the bullpen and kept the Fighting Illini in the game with 2.0 frames of strong relief before Paez took him deep. James finished with 3.0 innings pitched and four runs against on four hits in his second career appearance on the mound.
Tyler Poole (2-1) allowed two runs in the first 5.0 innings to earn the win and Mike Morrison picked up his first save by entering a 7-4 game in the sixth and holding Illinois scoreless in the final 2.1 innings.
Illinois will travel to Carbondale, Illinois, next weekend to face Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois two times each.
