April 22, 2000
Box Score
Chicago, Ill. - The UIC baseball team took a pair of exciting contests from Butler this afternoon, winning both games in their final at-bat. The Flames were victorious 1-0 in nine innings in the first game and 5-3 in the second contest.
With the wins, UIC's first victories over the Bulldogs since 1997, the Flames move into first place in the MCC with a 7-3 record while it improves to 19-20 overall. Butler fall to 20-19 overall and 4-4 in the MCC.
In the first contest it was a pitcher's duel as great pitching and excellent defense characterized the action. After playing to a 0-0 tie into the ninth inning, UIC broke it open in the bottom of the frame to plate one run, the only score it would need for the 1-0 win.
An error by BU third baseman Eric Storey put UIC lead-off hitter Sean McNichols on first and then a single by Bob Rosinski moved McNichols ahead to second. After Weber Bowen lined into a double play, rookie Curtis Granderson came through with the two-out game-winning hit, a single down the right field line, which scored McNichols.
Brad Mears and Steve Carlson combined to shutout the Bulldogs with Carlson earning his third win of the year. Mears, who went seven and a third innings, gave up just three scattered hits while striking out four. Carlson then came on in relief and no-hit the Bulldogs through the final one and two-thirds innings with a pair of strikeouts.
In game two, UIC struck first for one run in the bottom of the first as John Rosner led off the game with a double to right center field. Rosner advanced to third on a groundout to second by Eric Duke and then scored on a sacrifice bunt by McNichols.
Butler, however, took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second as the Bulldogs roughed up Flames' starter Nick Worm for four consecutive hits.
The teams exchanged leads again in the third and fourth innings and found themselves tied 3-3 before the Flames rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the win. McNichols led off with a double and advanced to third on a long fly ball by Rosinski. A hit batter and walk loaded the bases up and then another error at third by Storey, a dropped pop-up, scored a pair for the Flames.
Worm went the distance on the mound as he gave up nine hits and three earned runs while striking out a trio for his fifth win of the year.
The two squads will meet again tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at noon.
