March 10, 2006

Box Score

St. Louis, Mo.- Despite another strong pitching performance from junior Zach Peterson, the UIC baseball team came up on the wrong side of a 3-2 affair against Saint Louis at the Billikens Sports Center on Friday.

UIC (3-8) belted eight hits but left seven on base against the host Billikens (6-6).

Peterson pitched a season-high 8.2 innings, walking none and posting his second-straight five-strikeout showing, but took the loss when Saint Louis shortstop Ziggy Moore hit a two-out RBI single in the ninth to score the winning run.

Mark Hallberg went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Bryan Nolte went 2-for-3.

Larry Gempp Jr. ignited the Flames' offense early by leading off the game with a bunt single, followed by a base hit to center by Nick Rainwater. After Ted Rosinski's sacrifice bunt moved the runners over a base, Justin Johnson drove in Gempp on an RBI groundout to put UIC up 1-0.

The Billikens responded with a run in their half of the first. Following a single and a fielding error by Nolte, a single from Greg Rodgers drove in Ryan Crespi to even the score.

UIC would answer back three innings later. Johnson singled with one out in the top of the fourth, advancing to second on a wild pitch. Hallberg singled to move Johnson to third, and Bart Babineaux's grounder was mishandled by third baseman Gilbert Marlowe to score Johnson and put UIC back up by a run.

Saint Louis answered in the bottom half of the fourth, as a double by Musselman was followed by Pinnell's RBI single to tie the game at 2-2.

Peterson settled down after the second Saint Louis run, retiring 13 of 14 batters heading into the ninth.

UIC plays Saint Louis in the second of a three-game set at the Billiken Sports Center on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.