April 14, 2010
Box Score
CHICAGO- Early offense by the UIC baseball team held up thanks to clutch pitching and defense in a 5-3 victory over Central Michigan at Les Miller Field on Wednesday.
Wonderful weather in the Windy City mirrored the day for the Flames (11-18), who have now won four of their last five.
Rafael Garcia allowed just two hits and no runs in the first three innings of a UIC staff day on the mound to set the stage for a stout showing and get the win.
Relievers Joey Begel (four strikeouts) and Eric Wyman held off the potent bats for the Chippewas (18-12), and senior Brad Riegler recorded his first career save by inducing a game-ending double-play grounder to elude a late threat.
The Flames were the beneficiaries of four double plays on the day, with one occurring in each of the final four frames.
The majority of the Flames' offense came in the first two innings. Leadoff man Steve McGuiggan drew a walk and subsequently stole second after getting a great jump, despite starter Bryce Morrow's feverish yet futile attempts to pick off McGuiggan at first.
Jason Ganek replicated McGuiggan's plate appearance by inducing a free pass, setting up Chris Rutta's run-scoring single in the following at-bat.
A successful sacrifice bunt by Nathan Orf put a pair in scoring position and led to Matt Serna's RBI groundout.
The second inning also resulted in two runs for the Flames, with both scoring plays occurring with two away.
Andy Leonard dumped a single into center, and after he stole second it was McGuiggan who drove him home with a hit deep to right center that McGuiggan turned into a hustling triple.
The inning's second consecutive multi-base knock tacked on another run when Ganek pulled a ball to the gap in left center for an RBI double.
Central Michigan began to chip away in the top of the fourth, greeting Begel by getting a two-out run-scoring single off the bat of Jordan Dean.
The Chippewas scored again in the sixth by loading the bases with no outs for Dean, who flied out to center for a sacrifice fly that plated another tally. But Begel escaped further damage by forcing a double-play groundball off the stick of William Arnold to end the frame.
UIC's lead was cut to a run in the seventh. Wyman negated Matt Faiman's leadoff bunt single by inducing Dale Cornstubble to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, and that proved to be critical as the next batter, James Teas, clubbed the third pitch he saw from Wyman over the left field fence to make it a 4-3 game.
Wyman escaped trouble in the eighth after walking Scott Phillion with one away by causing another double-play grounder, this time off the bat of Sam Russell to end the inning.
The Flames got a vital insurance run in their half of the eighth. Serna was hit by a pitch with one out and eventually stole second. After moving to third on John Rosinski's flyout, Serna scored on Joe Betcher's single up the middle.
Central Michigan put two on with one out against Reigler, but as had been the case for most of the game, UIC got the double play when it needed it as the senior right-hander induced the game-ending twin-killing off the bat of Cornstubble.
UIC heads to Fairborn, Ohio to face Horizon League rival Wright State at Nischwitz Stadium this weekend.
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