Feb. 17, 2006
Box Score
Mesa, Ariz - Freshman Jake Carr's first career run batted in proved to be a game-winner on Friday evening as his two-out single in the top of the 10th inning gave the UIC baseball team a 3-2 victory over Creighton at HoHoKam Park, the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs.
The Blue Jays (0-3) had rallied from two runs down in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings and had two outs on the Flames (1-1) with nobody on in the 10th when UIC mounted its rally.
Pinch-hitter Jon Brown got things going with a walk and was then pushed to third on a single by Brett Schaefer. Carr followed by plating the go-ahead run with a single to left.
Senior Jason Foster, who had surrendered the tying runs in the ninth, pitched a spotless bottom half of the 10th inning to earn the win. In all, Foster worked three innings, allowing five hits while fanning a pair.
Reliever Scott Reese recorded the loss for Creighton, falling to 0-2 on the year.
UIC starter Zach Peterson was masterful in his season debut, despite coming away without a decision on Friday. Peterson worked seven shutout innings, giving up just four hits and a walk while striking out one.
Carr (2-for-3, RBI) and lead-off hitter Larry Gempp Jr. (2-for-5, RBI) both had mutli-hit games for the Flames. Senior Bart Babineaux also drove in a run for UIC, recoding his team-best third RBI of the year.
The game was scoreless through two innings when UIC plated a run in the top of the third inning on a double by Babineaux.
That would be the lone tally until the ninth inning as Peterson and Blue Jay hurlers Adam Schaecher, Pat Venditte and Teddy Ogilvie kept the scoreboard clean.
In the ninth, though, the Flames added what would prove to be an important insurance run on a two-out, bunt single by Gempp Jr.
That run would be key as Creighton finally scratched the scoreboard in its final at-bat. The Blue Jays plated two runs on a ground out and a single, but Foster was able to strand runners on second and third with two outs by getting third baseman Mark Wellwood to bounce one back to him to end the rally.
UIC will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when they take on Air Force at HoHoKam Park.
