April 5, 2006
Box Score
Peoria, Ill.- An offensive onslaught combined with an untouchable pitching performance gave the UIC baseball team an 11-0 non-conference road win over Bradley at O'Brien Field on Wednesday.
The Flames (13-11) pounded out 12 hits, while five UIC pitchers scattered five hits in a masterful shutout performance at the home of the Peoria Chiefs, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
UIC extended its winning streak to six games. The Flames have won 10 games in their last 12 attempts.
Larry Gempp Jr. paced the UIC offense from his leadoff spot, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI.
Chad Schroeder went 3-for-4 with a run driven in, while Mark Hallberg drove in two while hitting his first home run of the season.
Rookie lefthander Don Phillis pitched the first two innings, giving up just hits while fanning two, to earn the win and improve to 3-4. Phillis, Zach Wright, Joe Skinner, Randy Krick and Jake Wasechek combined to hold the Braves to five hits and no runs to go along with six strikeouts.
Bob Scahill (1-4) was charged with the loss for Bradley (11-13).
UIC struck in the first inning with three runs. Gempp led off with a base hit and advanced to third on Schroeder's single. Ted Rosinski grounded out to second to drive in Gempp for the Flames' first run.
After Schroeder was caught stealing third, Hallberg and Justin Johnson drew walks and Bart Babineaux was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ben Trotter's grounder was misplayed by Bradley shortstop Ryan Curry, allowing Hallberg and Johnson to score and increase the UIC lead to 3-0.
The Flames tacked on another score in the third inning. Following a triple off the bat of Johnson, Babineaux ripped an RBI single to center to push the lead to 4-0.
In the fourth inning Hallberg lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Gempp from third and made the score 5-0.
Gempp drove in two runs in the seventh with a triple that scored Nick Rainwater and Bryan Nolte.
Hallberg drove in another run when he led off the eighth with a solo blast that gave UIC an 8-0 lead.
UIC posted three more runs following Hallberg's blast. Gempp drove in two more on a single, and Schroeder followed with an RBI single of his own to put UIC up by 11 runs.
The game was stopped after eight innings due to the NCAA's 10-run mercy rule.
UIC heads to Cleveland, Ohio, for a three-game series at Horizon League foe Cleveland State beginning this Saturday.
