April 5, 2000
Box Score
Chicago, Ill. - The UIC baseball team outslugged Chicago State Wednesday night at Les Miller Field as it posted 13 hits and 17 runs en route to its fifth straight victory, a 17-8 decision.
With a fierce wind blowing out to left field, the baseballs were flying in the early innings. Chicago State blasted two home runs in the top of the first off of UIC starter Gene Rausch for a quick 2-0 lead.
The Flames, however, countered with six runs of their own in the bottom half of the first as Cougars starter Erik Scheiner surrendered six walks. UIC loaded up the bases on three consecutive free passes and scored its first run as a walk to Curtis Granderson drove in one. An error by the CSU second baseman scored another before rookie Kevin Nelson tagged his first collegiate home run, a grand slam, over the left field fence to give the Flames a 6-2 lead.
Chicago State cut the deficit in half, putting up one more run in the second on a home run to left field and two more in the third, including yet another home run over the left field fence, for a 6-3 Flames' margin.
UIC, however, put the game out of reach in the bottom half of the fourth as it put a nine-spot on the board.
Nelson led off the rally with his second home run of the game, a shot off the scoreboard in left field, and after Joe Schicker and John Rosner each made an out, the Flames got back-to-back-to-back singles by Eric Duke, Sean McNichols and Bob Rosinski to take a 8-3 lead.
Consecutive walks to Weber Bowen and Granderson continued the rally and scored another run for the Flames and then Nelson, in his second at bat of the inning, scored one more on his double to left center field. A double off the bat of Schicker plated another pair of runs for the Flames and capped off the rally as UIC extended its lead to 15-5.
In all, the Flames sent 14 batters to the plate in the fourth, scoring nine runs on eight hits.
Pitcher Brad Goebbert, who took over for Rausch in the fourth inning, worked superbly in relief to pick up his first win of the year. In three and a third innings pitched, Goebbert held Chicago State (10-10) hitless and did not allow a run while fanning five batters.
UIC (11-16) now prepares for a busy weekend at home as it welcomes Wright State to Les Miller Field for a four-game MCC series starting Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. On Saturday, the Flames and Raiders will square off for a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. before wrapping up the series on Sunday with a single game scheduled to start at noon.
