CHICAGO – UIC received a rock-solid start from senior Jake Dahlberg and the offense backed him up with 10 runs as the Flames eased past the Youngstown State Penguins, 10-2.
 
Dahlberg allowed only two hits as he fired seven scoreless innings at the Penguins Saturday. He struck out a pair, induced three double plays, recorded 11 outs via ground balls and secured his second win in as many home starts this spring.
 
Offensively, David Cronin drove in a season-high four runs, three of which came on a towering home run in the fifth inning. Brandon Gibis walked twice and scored three times for the Flames.
 
How It Happened

Youngstown State put the first two batters of the game on thanks to a base hit and a walk, but Dahlberg maneuvered around the trouble as he fanned Andrew Kendrick before getting Nico Padovan to roll into an inning ending 4-6-3 double play.
 
UIC's offense showed no signs off rust following a five-day layoff in the bottom of the first. Cody Bohanek poked a one-out single to right field and he moved up 90 feet when Ricardo Ramirez followed with a base hit the snuck through the right side of YSU's infield. Peguin starter Collin Floyd tried to pick Bohanek off at second base, but the poor throw scooted into center field and allowed the runner move up third. Clean-up hitter Bowen Ogata did his job with a run-scoring single to right field and Ramirez scored when the next hitter, Scott Ota, singled through the right side and gave UIC a 2-0 lead.
 
Gibis drew a four-pitch walk to begin the bottom of the second inning before Thomas Norton singled to put two on with nobody out. Cronin put down a sacrifice bunt to get the pair into scoring position, but Floyd made another errant throw as he tried to get the lead runner. Gibis scored to push the lead up to three.
 
Dahlberg continued to cruise and trust his defense as he retired six hitters in a row after the walk to Lorenzo Arcuri in the first inning. Web Charles broke the streak with a base in the top of the third, but Dahlberg received another twin-killing to end that inning one batter later.
 
The Flames hung a few more crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth innings. Gibis hustled his way to a double to open the bottom of the fourth, and two batters later Cronin brought him home with an RBI single through the right side. After Floyd was lifted for Gino DiVincenzo with one out in the fourth, UIC added two more runs without the benefit of a hit. Thomas Norton singled earlier and he scored on a passed ball with Ogata at the dish. Cronin made third on that play and he came home when DiVincenzo uncorked a wild pitch that helped the Flames establish a 6-0 lead.
 
The biggest blast of the day came off Cronin's bat in the bottom of the fifth. Rob Calabrese and Gibis were aboard with two outs when UIC's second baseman absolutely unloaded on an offering from Zack Minney and the ball cleared the fence for a three-run home run. Not only did Cronin's blast leave the field of play, but it landed on the walkway that separates Curtis Granderson Stadium from campus housing. It also posted UIC to a nine-run edge.
 
After seven scoreless innings in which he allowed only two hits, Dahlberg's outing was finished after 85 pitches. Freshman Jordan Krueger made his collegiate debut by setting the Penguins down in order in the top of the eighth and the offense added to its lead in the bottom half.
 
Ramirez walked against Javier Alvarez to begin the bottom of the eighth before back-to-back singles from pinch hitter Josh Gere and center fielder Mickey McDonald. With the bases loaded, Calabrese drove in Ramirez on a fielder's choice for UIC's 10^th and final run of the afternoon.
 
YSU scored its two runs with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Shane Willoughby drove in a pair on an RBI single up the middle.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• UIC has won four consecutive games for the first time this season. It is the longest winning streak since the 2016 Flames rattled off six straight victories from May 1-8 last season.
• The Flames tied a season high with 10 runs against Youngstown State. The team also scored 10 in a one-run loss at Missouri on March 5.
• The defense turned three double plays for the fourth time this season. They are 3-1 in those four games after defeating YSU Saturday. The Flames were not charged with an error for the third consecutive game and the fifth time in 2017. The squad is 4-1 without a miscue in the field.
• Dahlberg has not allowed a run in two starts at Curtis Granderson Stadium this season, while surrendering only four hits in 13.0 innings of work. In his last two outings, both wins, opponents are batting .071 against the Vancouver, Wash., native.
• His earned-run average dipped from 1.54 before Saturday's victory to 1.19 after seven frames.
• Every single player in UIC's starting lineup tallied a hit Saturday. Cronin was the lone Flame with a multi-hit day (2) and he leads the squad with seven multi-hit games this season.
• Cronin drove in four runs for the third time in his career and the first time since March 21, 2015 vs. Oakland. Four RBI marks the single-game high for any UIC player this spring.
• With a single in his first at-bat, Ramirez extended his on-base streak to 13 consecutive games and his hitting streak to seven. No other Flame has reached base in 13 consecutive contests this season, while he is tied with Bohanek with the active seven-game hitting streak.
• Gibis scored a career-high three runs, coming home following each of his first three plate appearances against the Penguins.
• Two Flames made their UIC debuts on the mound Saturday: Jordan Kreuger and Wyatt Trautwein.
• Garrett Myers notched his first hit in a UIC uniform when he legged out a pinch-hit double in the bottom of the seventh.
• Sophomore Josh Gere singled up the middle as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth for his first knock of the season.

Postgame Reaction





 
Up Next

• The Flames and Penguins will conclude the three-game series with a doubleheader at Granderson Stadium. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. with game to follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion.
• Fifth-year senior Jack Andersen and sophomore Reid Birlingmair are slated to start Sunday for the Flames. Kevin Yarabinec will go in game for YSU and the game two starter is to be determined.
• A free audio stream will be available on UICFlames.com for both games Sunday.