Game One Score: Illinois 9, VCU 4
Game Two Score: No. 6 Coastal Carolina 13, VCU 2
Location: Conway, S.C. (Springs Brooks Stadium)
Records: VCU 3-2, Illinois 2-3, Coastal Carolina 4-1
 
VCU baseball dropped its first two games of the season on Friday, falling to Illinois, 9-4, despite a stellar start from Fenix DiGiacomo. In the nightcap, the Rams were taken down by nationally ranked No. 6 Coastal Carolina, 13-2, in eight innings.
 
LEADING OFF:

• In the opening game, DiGiacomo tossed 4.0 shutout innings, allowing just one hit and one walk
• Brody Leyboldt made his debut on the mound in game one, striking out the side in the ninth inning
• Freshman hurler Chase Nystrom had a strong collegiate debut out of the bullpen against Coastal, producing VCU's first two scoreless innings on the mound
• Nick Flores had three hits on the day, tallying two base knocks and two runs in the opening game
• Jacob Lee, Nate Kirkpatrick and Trent Adelman each tallied a hit in both games
• With an RBI in the second game, Kirkpatrick became the first to double digits (10)
• VCU left nine runners on base against Coastal, while stranding 12 Chanticleers

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game One

• VCU got off to an early start against Illinois as Dante DeFranco belted a three-run home run in the opening inning
• DiGiacomo held onto the Rams' 3-0 lead through the fourth inning, tossing four scoreless frames
• Illinois strung together multiple runs in the next three innings, manufacturing a 9-3 lead with the help of two Cole Warehime home runs
• Attempting to ignite a VCU rally in the eighth inning, Flores walked and Lee doubled, placing a pair of runners in scoring position for Quinn Maher's RBI groundout
• The Rams' added a trio of hits late, but their comeback bid fell short, 9-4

Game Two

• Coastal runs trickled in over the first three innings as the host team worked up a 4-1 lead, broken up only by a Kirkpatrick RBI single in the top of the third
• Petite drove Adelman in on a well-struck ball to Coastal's shortstop in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 4-2
• Nystrom held the score into the sixth inning, tossing back-to-back scoreless frames, but CCU had an answer with two runs on three hits
• Coastal broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth inning, as free passes ailed the Rams before Ty Barrango shut the door with a walk-off grand slam
• No. 6 Coastal Carolina advanced to a 4-1 record on the year with a final score of 13-2

UP NEXT
The Rams will return to a one-game slate on Saturday, Feb. 21, facing Illinois again at 11 a.m. in the Baseball at the Beach tournament in Conway, S.C. Live statistics from the game will be available on StatBroadcast.