CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Bren Spillane continued his hot hitting Friday but it was not enough as the No. 22/25 Illinois baseball team dropped an 8-5 decision to Iowa at Illinois Field. Spillane went 2-for-3 with a homer, a double and three RBIs.
Illinois (16-6, 3-1 Big Ten) lost for only the third time in the last 18 games.
Iowa (15-8, 2-1 Big Ten) scored five runs in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead and did not trail again in the game. Spillane doubled home a run in the first and Michael Massey homered in the second to give Illinois a brief lead before Iowa's outburst.
Illinois starter Quinn Snarskis (3-1) lost for the first time in an Illini uniform. He did not get out of the third inning, allowing six runs on five hits in two innings. Ryan Schmitt (4.0 IP, 1 ER) and Jackson Douglas (2.0 IP, 1 ER) gave Illinois a chance with solid outings.
Spillane tried to get the Illini back in the game with a two-run homer in the sixth inning to make it 7-5. Spillane become the fastest Illini player to 12 HR (22 games) since Josh Klimek hit a dozen in the first 21 games of 1996. Klimek went on to hit a program-record 26 homers in 1996.
Illinois had the potential tying run at second base in the eighth inning before stranding the bases loaded. Nick Allgeyer (3-2) went 6 1/3 innings whil allowing three earned runs to earn the win, while Grant Leonard picked up a save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Zach Daniels bridged the gap between Allgeyer and Leonard with 1 2/3 hitless innings.
Robert Neustrom was 3-for-4 with a homer, three RBIs and four runs scored to lead the Hawkeyes.
The two teams are scheduled Saturday to be back at Illinois Field for a 3 p.m. CT game.
Notes
• Illinois has won 15 of its last 18 games.
• Illinois' three-run loss was its largest defeat of the season.
• Illinois' six losses have been by a combined 12 runs.
• Illinois is 14-2 when scoring five or more.
• Bren Spillane is the fastest Illini to 12 homers (22 games) since Josh Klimek in 1996, when Klimek hit 12 homers in the first 21 games of the season. Klimek ended up hitting a program-record 26 homers in 1996.
• Bren Spillane's last 9 games: .656 (21-32), 9 HR, 6 2B, 21 RBI, 54 total bases, .732 on-base percentage, 1.688 slugging percentage
• Michael Massey extended his career-long reached base streak to 27 games.
• Ben Troike extended his career-long reached base streak to 27 games.
• Iowa is 2-1 in the Big Ten with both its wins coming against ranked teams.
