WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Taylor Jackson hit the first pitch of the game 405 feet for a home run but the Illinois baseball team fell at No. 18 Wake Forest, 5-3, to close the weekend Sunday. The Illini started the season 1-2 before next weekend's trip to Coastal Carolina.
Illinois was good on the mound with Aidan Maldonado and Cole Kirschsieper combining to scatter nine hits and strike out nine. Maldonado started and went the first 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs, before Kirschsieper allowed only one run in the final 3 2/3 frames.Â
"I thought we did a good job on the mound for the most part," said head coach Dan Hartleb. "Aidan (Maldonado) has made progress since last year and I was really happy with Cole Kirschseiper. Our pitchers put us in position to win but we have to make some adjustments hitting-wise."
The Illini were limited to four hits by three Wake Forest pitchers. William Fleming (1-0) got the win after allowing three runs in six innings and striking out eight. Illinois did not get a hit off of relievers Tyler Witt (2.0 IP) and Shane Smith (1.0 IP).Â
Wake Forest (3-1) quickly answered Jackson's first inning homer with three runs in the second, including a two-out, two-run homer by William Simoneit. The Illini got it back to tied, 3-3, in the third on Nathan Aide's two-out, two-run single.Â
Wake leadoff man Michael Turconi gave the Demon Deacons the lead for good with an RBI single in the fifth and Chris Lanzilli added an insurance run on a solo homer in the eighth.Â
"I think you'll see great improvement from this weekend to next weekend from this team," said Hartleb. "Moving forward this is going to help us improve moving forward."
Illinois travels to Myrtle Beach next weekend for matchups against Western Carolina, the host Coastal Carolina, and West Virginia.
