Box Score April 29, 2016 Final Stats
Valparaiso, Ind. - Pitching wins ballgames and from the first pitch of the game the outcome was going to be determined on the mound. UIC (17-23, 9-7 HL) and Valparaiso (20-18, 11-5 HL) battled to the very end as the Crusaders edged the Flames, 2-1, on Friday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field.
Flames starter Connor Ryan (1 ER/5.1 IP) and Valparaiso pitcher Dalton Lundeen (1 ER/6.2 IP) matched each other pitch for pitch through six innings. Both pitchers allowed three hits each and neither figured in the decision. Ryan did not allow a hit until the third inning, while Lundeen was perfect through 5.1 innings, striking out seven along the way. UIC collected its first hit and baserunner on a sharp single to right field off the bat of Wyatt Mascarella in the sixth inning.
With Valparaiso leading 1-0 in the seventh, UIC loaded the bases with one out and managed to plate a single run on an RBI walk from Gabe Dwyer to tie the score at 1-1.
Trevor Lane (1 ER/3.0 IP), the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week, pitched out of jams in sixth and seventh innings after relieving Ryan in the sixth. In the ninth inning, Lane found himself in a third jam after loading the bases on a hit batsman, single and intentional walk. Lane uncorked a wild pitch that allowed the winning run to score. The loss was the third in a row for the Flames and fourth in their last five games.
UIC will send left-hander Jake Dahlberg (4-7, 5.67 ERA) to the hill Saturday to try and stop the losing skid. Saturday's game time has been changed to 11:00 a.m. CST from 1:00 p.m. in an effort to avoid potential inclement weather.
