CONWAY, S.C. -- Jack Yalowitz homered to give Illinois an early 2-0 lead Friday and Bren Spillane was a home run away from the cycle, but the Illini baseball team dropped a 6-4 decision at Coastal Carolina. Preseason All-American Kevin Woodall Jr.'s go-ahead two run homer to give Coastal a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth was the difference.
"It's disappointing," said head coach Dan Hartleb. "We did so some things well. We've made some progress since Sunday. There are still a number of things we can clean up. But I thought guys competed and that is important."
Illinois (1-2) and Coastal Carolina had been squared 4-4 for two innings before Woodall's blast off Sean Leland (1-1). The homer to left field was already Woodall's fourth of the season. Â
The Illini led briefly in the second inning after Yalowitz blasted a two-run no-doubt homer out of the facility in right field, before Coastal Carolina answered with four runs in the bottom half.
"The thing that we have to do, and good teams do, is when you score you come back and get a shutdown inning," said Hartleb.
Starter Andy Fisher allowed four hits and walked a batter with the big blow being a two-out, three-run double by Keaton Weisz. Fisher finished four innings, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out three and walking three.
Illinois' most efficient pitcher was Ryan Thompson, who went 2 2/3 scoreless innings and tied a career high with four strikeouts. He pitched perfect 1-2-3 frames in the fifth and the sixth, as the Illini tied the game on a Jeff Korte ground out to drive home Spillane, who had tripled.
The Illini chased talented Coastal starter Jason Bilous after only 4 2/3 innings. Bilous was up to 96 MPH, but struggled to throw strikes, walking seven and throwing 88 pitches. Reliever Matt Eardensohn (2-0) came in the fifth and got out of a jam, before finishing the game with 4 1/3 innings pitched and only one earned run allowed.
Ben Troike added two singles and Doran Turchin walked three times for the Illini.
Illinois heads back Saturday to Springs Brooks Stadium to face West Virginia and host Coastal Carolina in a doubleheader.
