WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Illinois baseball (1-2) fell to No. 1 Wake Forest (2-0), 5-2, today at David F. Couch Ballpark.
Logan Tabeling, making the first start of his career, matched the Demon Deacons' Chase Burns pitch-for-pitch over the first three innings of the game. Tabeling struck out the side in the first and then would strikeout four batters in the second, leaving the bases loaded in the process. The Tuscola, Ill., native turned in a scoreless third and would pick up two more punchouts in the fourth to give the senior a career-high nine.
Sam Reed followed out of the bullpen, tossing 4.0 innings of one-run ball in his Illini debut, fanning four and yielding just two hits.
Camden Janik went 2-for-4 at the dish and collected his first RBI of the season. Cameron Chee-Aloy and Coltin Quagliano each went 1-for-4 with a run to extend their hitting streaks to three games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After three innings of scoreless ball turned in by both starters, Wake Forest opened the scoring in the fourth with a one-out grand slam to make it 4-0. The hosts would then add another run with a lead-off homer in the fifth to make it 5-0.
The Illini would put runners on the corners with two outs in the fifth but were unable to push any runs across in the frame. The Orange and Blue threatened again in the sixth after back-to-back singles from Asher Bradd and Cal Hejza, but the Demon Deacons managed to turn a double-play two batters later to end the scoring chance.
Down to their last at-bats, Illinois mounted a late rally in the ninth after Chee-Aloy kicked things off with a single and Quagliano doubled two batters later. Chee-Aloy would score on a wild pitch and Quagliano would then score on Janik's RBI-single to make it 5-2. Drake Westcott worked a walk to bring the tying run to the plate with one out, but the Illini were unable to keep the late surge going and ultimately fell 5-2.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini close out the weekend with a match up against Fordham tomorrow, with first pitch from David F. Couch Ballpark slated for 9 a.m. CT.
GAME NOTES
» Logan Tabeling set career-high marks in innings pitched (4.0), strikeouts (9) and pitches (85) in his first-career start.
    » Struck out the first-five batters to come to the plate.
    » Tallied four strikeouts in the second inning after the first batter reached via wild pitch following a strikeout.
    » Has nine strikeouts in 4.0 innings compared to 13 in 16.0 innings in 2023.
» Sam Reed, making his Illini debut, went 4.0 innings and allowed one run on two hits while striking out four.
    » Allowed both hits in his first inning of work....did not allow a hit over his final 3.0 innings...issued two walks.
    » Retired the final five batters he faced in the contest.
» Camden Janik went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
    » Second multi-hit game of the season.
    » Has gone 4-for-13 to begin the season (.308)...leads the team in average and hits.
» Cameron Chee-Aloy went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
    » Has hit safely in each of the first three games of the season...is 3-for-10 overall (.300).
» Coltin Quagliano went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
    » Has hit safely in each of the first three games of the season...is 3-for-11 overall (.273).
» Drake Westcott drew a pair of walks in the game...has a team-leading three walks this season.
» Fighting Illini pitchers combined to strike out 13 Wake Forest hitters.
    » The Illinois pitching staff has recorded double-digit punchouts in two of three games this season.
» The Fighting Illini out-hit the Demon Deacons at a 7-4 clip.
    » Illinois has out-hit their opponent in two of three games this season...are 1-1 in those contests.
    » Illinois held Wake Forest to just four hits, its fewest total at David F. Couch Ballpark since March 19, 2023, where they also had four.
» Illinois pitchers faced 36 Wake Forest hitters in the game, allowing zero ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out 13.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
