March 29, 2006
Box Score
Valparaiso, Ind.- A five-run third inning and 10-strikeout, one-run outing by six Flames pitchers gave the UIC baseball team a 7-1 non-conference road victory over Valparaiso at Emory G. Bauer Field on Wednesday afternoon.
UIC has now won six of their last eight.
The Flames (9-11) scratched the scoreboard in the first inning. Nick Rainwater and Ted Rosinski each singled with one out, and a wild pitch by Valpo starter Mike Stankiewicz advanced the two to second and third. Mark Hallberg then delivered a single to right that brought both runners home and put UIC up 2-0.
Valpo responded in the bottom half of the first, as a two-out walk to Kevin Kutansky was followed by two straight singles. The second base knock allowed Kutansky to score and cut the UIC lead in half.
UIC then opened up the game in the top of the third. With Larry Gempp Jr. on third, Valpo second baseman Jon Rupno could not handle a grounder hit by Rosinski, allowing Gempp to score easily.
After Rosinski stole second, a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Manthei on Hallberg's grounder to the left side allowed Rosinski to score from second and extend UIC's lead to 4-1.
With Hallberg and Justin Johnson on, Bart Babineaux launched the first pitch he saw from Stankiewicz over the left centerfield fence for his third home run of the season and a 7-1 UIC advantage.
That's how the score stayed, as UIC pitching kept the Crusaders off the board in the final eight innings.
Babineaux has now homered in two consecutive games.
Senior righthander Ryan Martin pitched the first two innings, allowing three hits and a run while striking out four, and was awarded the win.
Junior reliever Randy Krick pitched a perfect third inning, while junior righthander Zach Peterson got in some work in his first relief appearance of the season by throwing a scoreless fourth.
Adam Worthington, who struck out four on the day, and Jason Foster each pitched two scoreless frames, and Chad Schroeder made his second appearance from the pen to retire all three hitters he faced in the ninth.
Stankiewicz was tagged with the loss for Valparaiso (2-14).
UIC opens a three-game home series against Horizon League rival Youngstown State at Les Miller Field this Saturday with the first game of a doubleheader at noon.
