May 27, 2010
Box Score
Box Score in PDF Format 
GARY, Ind. - Chris Kovacevich pitched a complete game shutout and led the UIC baseball team to a 7-0 victory over the Butler Bulldogs to stay alive in the 2010 Horizon League Baseball Championship at the U.S. Steel Yard.
Kovacevich was as effective as he's been all season long, scattering just seven hits over nine innings, while striking out three. The Bulldogs (21-29) put just two runners on second base all game long against the Frankfort, Ill. native who was named the U.S Army Player of the Game for his performance.
Jason Ganek provided plenty of offense for UIC (23-29), driving in a game-high three runs. The third baseman collected a pair of sacrifice flies and an RBI single in the ballgame. Chris Rutta also added two RBI.
The Flames jumped out to an early two-run lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to Rutta's second triple in as many games which drove home Matt Serna and Nathan Orf.
UIC added to the lead in the second inning when Ryan Boss scored on Ganek's sacrifice fly to right field, making it 3-0.
The bats went relatively quiet until the seventh inning when Steve McGuiggan led things off with an triple to right centerfield. The three-bagger not only kick-started a late offensive surge, but it also set a new single-season record with nine, previously held by Mike Hughes (2004). He would come to score on Ganek's second sac fly, this time to deep centerfield.
Serna walked and subsequently scored all the way from first base on Orf's RBI double to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Flames added their final two tallies in the eighth when Ty Rubio singled and scored on a double off the bat of McGuiggan, who finished a home run shy of the cycle. The centerfield scored the seventh run on a base-hit to left field by Ganek.
Joe Ochs took the loss for Butler after allowing five runs (four earned) over 6.1 IP. He struck out six Flames on the afternoon.
UIC will move on to play in a second straight elimination game Friday at 11 a.m. The opponent will be determined based on the outcomes of games between No. 2 Milwaukee and No. 4 Valparaiso and No. 6 Youngstown State and No. 1 Wright State later on Thursday. The Flames will face the lower seed.
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