NEW ORLEANS – UIC dropped its 2017 debut at the MLB Urban Youth Invitational, 5-4, against Prairie View A&M at Wesley Barrow Stadium in New Orleans on Friday afternoon. The Panthers scored four times in the bottom of the ninth to come from behind and claim the victory.
 
Senior Jake Dahlberg made the start on the hill for the Flames and he was as sharp as ever in The Big Easy. The left-hander was perfect against the Panthers through 4.2 innings in his season debut. He scattered four hits and a run over his final 2.1 innings and fanned nine while walking only one on the day. He received no decision.
 
UIC began the bottom of the ninth with a 4-1 lead, however the Panthers scratched out four runs to grab the late victory. With no outs, the bases loaded, and one run already in, PVAM's Corbin Jamison drove in a pair of runs to even the ledger. The Flames got a much-needed strikeout with the potential game-winning run 90 feet away before an intentional walk loaded the bases for Andrew Garcia. Garcia got the job done and drove in pinch runner Avery Williams from third base for the walk-off win.
 
How It Happened
UIC got on the board first with a single tally in the third inning. Brandon Gibis bunted for a single with one away in the top of the third before freshman Matt Bottcher singled through the left side for a base hit in his first collegiate at-bat. Senior Cody Bohanek soon drove Gibis home with a fielder's choice, tallying the first run of the season.
 
The Flames went to work offensively again in the top of fourth. Mickey McDonald, playing for UIC for the first time since May 22, 2015, began the frame by drawing a base on balls. David Cronin then pushed a single through the right side to put runners on the corners with nobody out. With newcomer Bowen Ogata at the dish, Prairie View A&M's Edgar Sanchez uncorked a wild pitch that allowed McDonald to score and increase UIC's lead to two runs. Cronin made third with one out, but Sanchez stranded him there to end the threat.
 
Meanwhile on the bump, Dahlberg was dealing for the Flames. The southpaw was perfect through 4.2 innings pitched with eight strikeouts before Jamison singled for the Panthers' first hit. Jamison swiped second base, but he was left there when Dahlberg got the batter to line out to Cronin at second base to end the inning.
 
Dahlberg's offense padded the lead with another run in the top of the sixth. McDonald doubled to left field to lead off the inning and he advanced to third on foul fly ball. Catcher Rob Calabrese drove in his first run of the season with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring McDonald and pushing the lead to three runs through five and a half innings.
 
The Panthers first broke through with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Jamison picked up his second hit of the day, one that drove in Cody Den Beste with one out. A successful relay throw from Scott Ota in right field, to first baseman Ricardo Ramirez, to Gibis at third cut down another would-be runner in scoring position before Dahlberg got a ground ball that Cronin flipped to Bohanek at second for the final out.
 
After that play the rain came to Wesley Barrow Stadium and it was significant enough to cause a delay. The break lasted 81 minutes, but it could not quell the Flames. Ota resumed play with a single to right-center field and he scored three batters later when Ogata roped his first hit in a UIC uniform to left. The knock gave the Flames a three-run lead once again at 4-1.
 
UIC began the bottom of the ninth with that same 4-1 lead. With no outs, the bases loaded, and one run in, Jamison drove in a pair of runs to even the ledger. The Flames got a much-needed strikeout from reliever Charlie Cerny with the potential game-winning run 90 feet away before an intentional walk loaded the bases for Andrew Garcia. Garcia got the job done and drove in pinch runner Avery Williams for the walk-off win.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• Cronin led the Flames with three hits Friday. He led the team with 23 multi-hit games in 2016 and has 33 in his career.
• The versatile McDonald scored twice for the Flames while batting third and making his debut in center field. The San Mateo, Calif., native was an All-Horizon League third baseman in 2015.
• In their UIC debuts Bottcher and Ogata combined for three hits against PVAM.
• Noah Masa returned to the mound after missing much of the 2016 season. Limited to eight appearances a year ago, the Homer Glen, Ill., native made his debut with a strikeout and scoreless frame in the bottom of the eighth.

Up Next

• The second game of Friday's scheduled doubleheader was rescheduled because of weather. The Flames will resume the invitational on Saturday, Feb. 18 against the New Orleans Privateers at 1 p.m. That game will be played on UNO's campus.
• UIC will finish the weekend back at Barrow Stadium on Sunday, when it meets Grambling State at 12 p.m. CT and PVAM after that. The rescheduled game against the Panthers is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. that day.