CHICAGO – UIC won for the 10^th time in 11 games and the seventh time in eight chances this season at Granderson Stadium with a 6-1 triumph over Northern Illinois Tuesday.
 
Rob Calabrese drove in two runs, while Cody Bohanek and Thomas Norton each scored twice as the Flames (14-7, 5-1 Horizon League) won for the 14^th time this season. The reigning Horizon League Batter of the Week Scott Ota drove in a run and scored another, while Riley Hebert picked up an RBI in his first career start as the designated hitter.
 
Making his fourth career start on the mound, freshman Jacob Key was sensational for the Flames. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native fired 6.0 scoreless innings while scattering four hits and walking only one. Key registered two strikeouts and picked a runner off first base as he won for the third time in a UIC uniform.
 
How It Happened
Both sides came up empty in the first two innings before the Flames sent nine men to the dish and hung a three-spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Bohanek drew a leadoff walk and made it to third with the help of a stolen base and a wild pitch. Ota walked with two outs ahead of Calabrese who lined a sharp single into left field to bring Bohanek home and give UIC the first run of the day. After another walk that loaded the bases, this one to Ricardo Ramirez, Mickey McDonald hit a ball to NIU third baseman Tommy Szczasny. Szczasny was unable to field it cleanly, which allowed Ota to score. Hebert then drove in a run the hard way as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, plating Calabrese.
 
After an efficient inning that required only five pitches from Key in the top of the fourth, the Flames continued to add on in the bottom half. Bohanek led off again, this time with an infield single. Norton walked and both runners moved up to third and second, respectively when NIU's Danny Hyde threw back to second to keep Bohanek close, but no one was home and the ball sailed into center field. Ota then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Bohanek, before Calabrese doubled down the line in left to plate Norton.
 
Key, who never allowed a runner past second base, was removed from the game after six shutout innings. In the bottom of the sixth the Flames scored their sixth and final run of the afternoon. Norton walked and eventually scored on a passed ball charged to NIU catcher Mike Roberson.
 
The Huskies truly threatened for the first time in the eighth inning. NIU notched back-to-back singles to start the inning against Wyatt Trautwein. NIU had the bases loaded with two outs, but Noah Masa punched out Carl Russell swinging to end the threat and leave the bases loaded.
 
UIC got three singles in the bottom of the eighth, but could not add to the 6-0 lead. Right-handed reliever Danny Riley was called upon to open the ninth inning on the bump and he struck out the first two batters. Following a pitching change, NIU coaxed back-to-back walks before a single to center field loaded the bases. After Samuel Vega drove in NIU's first run of the game with a solid base hit to left field, UIC's Charlie Cerny slammed the door by getting Szczasny to ground out to David Cronin at second base.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• The Flames won for the 10^th time in 11 games and extended their winning streak in nonconference games to five in a row. Tuesday's starting pitcher, Key, has been the starting pitcher in three of those five wins.
• The first five hitters in UIC's lineup collected seven hits and scored all six runs for the Flames Tuesday. That group also drew six walks.
• UIC walked eight times as a team against the Huskies, matching a season high for the third time.
• Calabrese is batting .421 (16-for-38) with five doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI since March 7. Ota is batting .350 (14-for-40) with a team-high 16 RBI during that same span.
• Calabrese has reached base safely in a team-high 16 consecutive games, as has Cronin.
• Cronin, who is leading the team with a batting average of .360 on the season, picked up two more hits Tuesday to bring his team-leading total to 31 on the season. The second baseman leads the Flames with 10 multi-hit games.
• Hebert, a redshirt freshman, made his first career start as the designated hitter against NIU.
• Bowen Ogata did not start, but appeared as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth inning. The junior poked a single through the right side to extend his hitting streak to a team-best 10 games.
• Riley became the first UIC player to appear at the plate and on the mound this season. In addition to Tuesday's relief stint, the Naperville, Ill., native entered the game March 9 against Chicago State as pinch hitter.
• The Flames were not charged with an error for the third consecutive game. The team has committed only three errors in the last 12 games. The squad's fielding percentage improved from .984 before the contest, which ranked fourth in the NCAA entering the day, to .985 following the victory.

Postgame Reaction





Up Next

• UIC will jump back into Horizon League play on Saturday, April 1, when it travels north to play the Milwaukee Panthers in a doubleheader to begin a three-game series. The first pitch of the game one is scheduled for noon CT.
• The series finale will take place at Henry Aaron Field on Sunday, April 2. The start time of that game is yet to be announced.
• The Flames are 5-1 in League play with series victories over Youngstown State (3-0) and Valparaiso (2-1) at Granderson Stadium to start the conference slate.
• UIC will play its next six Horizon League games on the road. After the three in Milwaukee, UIC will play three more at Oakland, April 7-9.