Feb. 11, 2001

Box Score

Ft. Myers, Fla. - The UIC and Northwestern baseball teams wrapped up their three-game series Sunday afternoon in Ft. Myers, Fla., and, after splitting the first two games, the rubber match went to the Wildcats, 5-4.

UIC grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first as John Rosner (Ottawa, Ill./Marquette) doubled and moved over to third on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI groundout by J.P. Moran (Burlington, Wis./Westosha Central).

After Northwestern put one run on the board in the third to knot the game at 1-1, the Flames grabbed the lead back in the fourth as Chris Kerpan's (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) second triple of the weekend scored Weber Bowen (Minneapolis, Minn./The Blake School) from second base.

The Wildcats then claimed the lead with two runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth innings for a 4-2 advantage. UIC got right back into it, though, with one run of its own in the sixth and another solo score in the seventh to tie the game at 4-4.

Northwestern then took the lead for good in the eighth as Matt Thompson's single was enough to plate one run for the Wildcats.

Junior lefty Wes Gilliam (South Holland, Ill./Thornwood), who returns to action this season after missing the entire 2000 campaign with an injury, earned the start for the Flames and went four and two-thirds innings, giving up three hits with nine strikeouts.

Larry Banks (Cicero, Ill./Nazareth Academy) took the loss for UIC as he worked three and a third innings of relief and gave up four hits and one walk with a pair of strikeouts.

The Flames, now 1-2 for the year, will play a four-game series at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., next weekend.