March 8, 2009
Box Score
NASHVILLE- The UIC baseball team scored a season-high seven runs on a season-best 13 hits, but defensive miscues led to six unearned runs for Vanderbilt as the Flames were defeated by the Commodores, 12-7, in the series finale at Hawkins Field on Sunday.
Jake Carr hit a two-run homer for the second straight game and Brett Schaefer went 3-for-4 for the Flames (1-9), who ended a grueling 10-game season-opening road swing against three straight power conference opponents.
Rookie catcher Nathan Orf came off the bench to go 2-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in.
Vanderbilt (9-4) took advantage of three UIC errors and a passed ball in the game's first four innings that made half of the Commodores' runs unearned.
UIC took an early lead after Carr's two-run blast to left center in the top of the first, but the Commodores scored three times, all unearned runs, in the bottom half of the inaugural inning after two errors were charged to shortstop Andy Leonard.
The Commodores' three runs in the fourth were also of the unearned kind after a passed ball by catcher Steven Humble and a throwing error committed by reliever Eric Wyman.
Vanderbilt scored at least one run in the game's first five frames to go ahead 11-2 heading into the top of the sixth, an inning in which UIC scored four times to get within five after consecutive RBI singles off of the bats of Jason Ganek and Chris Rutta and Orf's two-run base hit.
The Flames closed the gap to four in the next inning courtesy of two-out damage. Schaefer was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball, and Steve McGuiggan drove him home on a single to right.
Vanderbilt tacked on a run in the bottom of the seventh to return its advantage to five. The Flames would put two in scoring position with two out in the eighth after Brandon Harwell's single and Orf's double, but Ty Rubio was retired to end the Flames' late threat.
Peter Ifft suffered the loss in his first start of the season after giving up three earned runs and six total tallies in 2.1 innings.
Schaefer concluded the four-game series against Vanderbilt with a .538 average (7-for-13), while four of Carr's five hits over the weekend were of the extra-base variety.
UIC opens the gates at Les Miller Field this Thursday, March 12 for the Flames' home opener against Northwestern at 4:05 p.m.
