CONWAY, S.C. – Jake Books, Zach Beach, and Blake Barthol led the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers to a 17-9 win over the Illinois Fighting Illni on Friday evening after a 3:15 hour weather delay at Springs Brooks Stadium.
 
The Chanticleers (3-2) used six pitchers on the evening as Riley Eikhoff got the start before giving way to Oliver Ellison after 4.0 innings, giving up five runs, seven hits, and striking out two. Ellison did not allow a hit or run as he pitched 1.0 inning before the weather delay. Henry Weycker (1-0) took the mound after the 3:15 delay in the top of the sixth allowing one run and one hit for his first win as a Chant. Bryce Shaffer pitched 1.1 innings to close out the game.
 
At the plate, Coastal offense totaled 14 hits with three doubles and two home runs. Beach (2-for-5, HR, 3 runs, 3 RBI), Books (4-for-4, HR, 2 run, 4 RBI), and Barthol (2-for-4, 1 2B, 3 runs, 3 RBI) tallied multiple hits for the Chants.
 
Illinois jumped out to the early lead in the first inning as Coltin Quagliano hit a two-out two-run homer, which was followed by solo blasts by Drake Westcott and Ryan Moerman to make the score 4-0. Coastal answered with a walk by Barthol, who scored on a single by Beach. Graham Brown reached on a throwing error by the Illini to put runners on second and third. Books then cut the lead to 4-3 with his first hit and two RBI of the game.
 
The two teams mimicked each other as both went scoreless in the second, before Illinois increased its lead to 5-3 on a sacrifice fly by Quagliano. Coastal's Books trimmed the lead to 5-4 with his second home run of the season.
 
After a scoreless fourth inning, Coastal escaped a jam in the top of the fifth with its second twin killing of the game before the rain and weather delay arrived in the bottom of the inning. Coming out of the long break, the Chanticleers exploded with two quick runs as Beach put Coastal in front 6-5 with a two-run bomb to right center. Brown and Books followed with a walk and single to put runners on first and third before a wild pitch advanced both runners to give CCU a 7-5 lead.
 
Coastal's Sam Antonacci drove in two runs with a single up the middle and scored on Barthol's two-RBI double down the right field line to increase the Chanticleer lead to 11-5. Brown singled to center field to add to the tally before Beach crossed the plate for the second time in the inning on fielder's choice by Illinois.
 
The Illini scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 14-7 only to see the Chanticleers add one back on Books' fourth RBI of the game on a single to first. Brown hustling from second on the play to score and increase the lead to 15-7. Both teams added a pair of runs in the eighth for the final score of 17-9.
 
Due to the weather, the weekend schedule is now:
 
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE
Ball State vs. Cincinnati – 10 a.m. ET
Coastal vs. Ball State – 2 p.m. ET
Cincinnati vs. Illinois – 6 p.m. ET
 
SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE
Illinois vs. Ball State – 9 a.m. ET
Coastal vs. Cincinnati – 2 p.m. ET
 
Fans who purchased tickets for any neutral site game can exchange it for another neutral site game this weekend at the Springs Brooks Stadium Ticket office. For more information, fans can contact the Chanticleers Athletic Ticket Office during normal business hours Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.
For complete coverage of CCU baseball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalBaseball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.