April 11, 2008
Box Score
Niles, Ohio- The UIC baseball team blew a two-run ninth-inning lead, and Youngstown State's Eric Marzec hit a walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the 10th as the Flames suffered a 6-5 loss to the Penguins in a back-and-forth affair at a moist Eastwood Field on Friday.
It appeared that victory was imminent for the visiting Flames (19-11, 8-2 Horizon League) after Brett Schaefer hit a go-ahead two-run infield single with two outs in the ninth and reliever Don Phillis retired the first two hitters in the bottom part of the frame.
But Youngstown State (11-19, 4-3) rallied for the third time in the contest when Anthony Munoz singled and pinch hitter Josh Page blasted a game-tying two-run homer to left field.
After the Flames went 1-2-3 in the 10th, Marzec stepped to the plate with one away and hit the second pitch he saw from reliever Adam Worthington over the left field wall.
Starter Derrick Miramontes allowed three runs in eight innings of work, coming away without a decision.
Schaefer had a go-ahead RBI hit prior to the ninth, smashing a two-run ground-rule double in the seventh just moments after a 41-minute rain delay ended to break a 1-1 deadlock. Youngstown State also squared the game in that same inning when Sean Lucas hit a two-out ducksnort into short right that a diving Ty Rubio was unable to snare, allowing the tying pair of runs to cross the dish.
Friday's 10-inning affair was the third time in the last four games that the Flames have gone into extra frames.
UIC's series at Youngstown State concludes with a doubleheader at Eastwood Field on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. Central.
