April 15, 2008

Box Score

Normal, Ill.- The UIC baseball team saw a two-run lead evaporate in the eighth inning as Illinois State scored four times during the frame to defeat the Flames, 8-6, at a windy Duffy Bass Field on Tuesday night.

Rafael Garcia drove in a pair of runs and Ryan Schweikert went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Flames (20-13).

UIC took a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth when reliever Adam Worthington hit Ronnie Calvird with a 3-2 offering to begin the inning. Two batters later Kevin Konsler hit an RBI double that trimmed the Flames' lead to one, and pinch hitter Anthony Ruffolo followed with a game-tying RBI single up the middle.

With two away and runners on first and second, Kevin Dubler hit a double to the left field wall that cleared the bases and put Illinois State (14-17) ahead for good.

UIC had rallied from an early two-run deficit by scoring twice in the fifth. Jake Carr hit a ground ball back to pitcher Ben Hays with two aboard, but Hays' throw to first went into foul territory in right and gave Steve McGuiggan enough time to score the tying run from second. Brett Schaefer followed by driving in Ty Rubio from third with the go-ahead run on a groundout to second.

The Flames tacked on another run in the eighth when Tony Altavilla scored from third on McGuiggan's suicide squeeze bunt to build a two-run advantage prior to the fateful bottom part of the inning.

Each team committed three errors during Tuesday's game.

UIC takes on Valpo in a doubleheader this Friday at noon in Valparaiso, Ind.