Box Score April 2, 2016 Box Score
NILES, Ohio -- UIC's offensive showed up in a powerful way Saturday as the Flames crossed the dish 15 times on 22 hits to topple the Youngstown State Penguins, 15-1, at Eastwood Field to even the three-game series at a game apiece.
Six different players drove in at least one run for the visiting Flames. Ricardo Ramirez, Conor Philbin and Wyatt Mascarella each drove in three runs for UIC, while Philbin accounted for the game's only home run, a solo shot over the fence in right field with one away in the top of the fourth.
After being limited to only one run in the first game of the series, the visiting Flames matched that total in the top of the first inning. UIC went station-to-station with three consecutive singles to load the bases before Brandon Gibis got his team on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Flames began a string of four consecutive multi-run frames with a pair of tallies in the top of the second inning. David Cronin drove Alex Dee home from second base, while Cronin later scored on a double down the right-field line off the bat of Ramirez.
UIC doubled its early lead in the top of the third with three more runs. Mascarella brought both Rob Calabrese (bunt single) and Alex Dee (double) home with a sharp single up the middle. Thomas Norton pushed Mascarella up to second base with a sacrifice bunt before Cronin picked up another of his four hits with a single to right field. The Flames second baseman got himself into a rundown, but Mascarella was able to score on the play, making it 6-0 in favor of head coach Mike Dee's squad.
The six-run cushion was plenty for UIC starting pitcher Jake Dahlberg. The southpaw scattered four hits and surrendered a lone run over 6.1 innings on the bump as he posted his second Horizon League victory of the season and third overall. He also fanned seven Penguins in the contest.
Leading 6-1 after three, the Flames added three more runs in both the fourth and fifth innings at Eastwood Field. In the fourth, Philbin homered before Gibis singled and stole both second and third base. The UIC center fielder scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Mascarella plated Calabrese.
The fifth inning featured another two-base hit by Ramirez that scored Cronin and a two-RBI single from Philbin that brought Derrick Patrick and Ramirez across the dish.
Youngstown State tossed its first scoreless stanza of the afternoon in the top of the sixth, but the Flames went right back to work by scoring two more runs in the top of the seventh. Patrick and Ramirez walked to open the frame with Patrick scoring on an RBI-single off Gibis' bat. Ramirez came home later when Calabrese wrapped a base knock up the middle. The final run of the game came in the top of the eighth when Cronin scored on a sacrifice fly from Ramirez.
Reid Birlingmair and Austin Smith teamed up to toss 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to finish off UIC's third Horizon League victory in five games. Birlingmair did not allow a hit in 1.2 IP, while each struck out one Penguin.
Cronin collected four hits (4-for-6) in a game for the second time this season Saturday. The lineup spark has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games for UIC, while he has hit safely in his last eight outings. Both streaks currently lead the Flames. Ramirez served up his team-leading seventh multi-RBI effort in the win over the Penguins.
The rubber match of the three-game set is slated for Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. RHP Connor Ryan (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will take the hill for UIC.
