Box Score March 18, 2016 Final Stats
CHICAGO -- The Flames opened Horizon League action with a 5-4 loss at the hands of the visiting Oakland Grizzlies on Friday afternoon. UIC falls to 3-3 in their last six conference openers.
Ian Lewandowksi (2-1) suffered the loss allowing five runs on eight hits over 7.1 IP while striking out seven batters along the way. The right hander had his scoreless streak halted at 11.1 IP when he allowed Oakland to get on the board in the second inning on back-to-back singles and an RBI groundout by Brett Impemba.
Trailing 1-0, UIC answered with a pair of runs in the third inning on a throwing error that allowed Joe Rossi to score the Flames first run and later an RBI single from Gabe Dwyer. UIC was not finished as they tacked on two more in the fifth inning courtesy of an Alex Dee RBI single and an Oakland error.
Lewandowski was on cruise control through five innings, retiring 10 of 12 batters faced but ran into trouble in the sixth. He allowed the first three batters to reach base via a hit-by-pitch, walk and single. Oakland's Tyler Pagano stepped to the plate and hit the first pitch he saw over the left field wall to clear the bases and give the Grizzlies a 5-4 lead.
Three Oakland relievers combined to pitch the final 4.2 innings for the win snapping their four-game losing streak to the Flames.
The two teams return to the diamond on Saturday at 1:05 pm CT. UIC sends left-hander Jake Dahlberg (1-3, 7.56 ERA) to the mound against Oakland right-hander Jake Lee (2-2, 4.82 ERA).
