April 8, 2011

Box Score

Box Score in PDF Format

CHICAGO - UIC's Matt Salemi and Milwaukee's Chad Pierce were masterful on the mound, but in the end it was Pierce's Panthers that emerged with the 4-3 Horizon League win at Les Miller Field on Friday night.

Salemi (3-3) tossed his second straight complete game for the Flames (13-13, 4-3 Horizon League), allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out five.

Unfortunately it was an error committed that by the right-hander that allowed what would hold up to be the winning run in the top of the fifth inning.

Tell Taylor led off the inning with an infield single for the Panthers (9-16, 3-1 Horizon League) ahead of one of the top hitters in the Horizon League, Doug Dekoning. Dekoning laid down a bunt to the left side of the mound which forced Salemi to field the ball going away from first base. The senior center fielder for Milwaukee would have beaten the throw, but Salemi's effort eluded first baseman Jason Ganek and sailed up the right field line allowing Taylor to score and the batter to scamper all the way to third base. Dekoning was cut down two batters later when UIC shortstop Ryan Shober made a diving stab and perfect throw to catcher Jacob McNamara for the second out of the inning. Sam Koenig hit into a fielder's choice to end the threat, but the damage was done and the Panthers held a 4-3 lead.

Pierce (3-3) was sharp Friday. After allowing three runs through the first three innings, including a towering home run off the bat of Ganek, the veteran settled down and did not permit the Flames to get past second base through his next five innings of work.

Jon Ryan scored the first run of the game for the home team after drawing a walk and scoring from second on an error by Koenig in the first inning.

After throwing over 140 pitches, Pierce was lifted in the ninth for reliever Greg Blohowiak. The side-arming right-hander walked Nick Addison to lead off the inning, gave up a sacrifice bunt to McNamara and walked Andy Leonard to give UIC hope with just one away and the top of the order coming up. Blohoviak was yanked in favor of left-hander Kaleb Engelke. Engelke fanned Shober and induced a ground out off the bat of Steve McGuiggan to earn his second save of the season and, more importantly, end the ballgame.

No Flames hitter had more than one hit off the Panthers staff. Ganek was 1-for-4 with the two-run home run after missing the last two games with a leg injury. McGuiggan was 1-for-3 in his return after missing the better part of the last two games; the senior now has 242 hits in a UIC uniform and is one shy of tying J.P. Moran for the all-time career lead. Leonard finished 0-for-3 with a walk and saw his eight-game hitting streak come to an end.

The loss was also the first at Les Miller Field for UIC this season. Entering play on Friday, the Flames had won 22 of their last 26 games at The Mill. UIC and Milwaukee will conclude the three-game series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 12:05 p.m.