CHICAGO -- UIC swept both games of a doubleheader Sunday by defeating the Youngstown State Penguins 3-0 in the first game to secure a series victory before plating the game-winning run in the bottom of the 12^th in the nightcap to win 1-0.

The Flames (10-6) were dominant on the mound all day. In the first game, sophomore Reid Birlingmair went a career-high 8.0 innings to pick up his second win of the season. The Normal, Ill., native scattered only three hits and walked one. Mitchell Schulewitz nailed down his second save of the season and preserved the shutout in the ninth inning.

Cody Bohanek, Scott Ota and Mickey McDonald each drove in runs for UIC. Ota hit the first triple of the season by any member of the Flames and he also helped to keep the Penguins off the scoreboard as he threw what would have been the tying run at the time to end the top of the sixth inning.

Jack Andersen toed the rubber in game two and he cruised through the first six innings, at one point retiring 11 consecutive batters between the second and sixth innings. Youngstown State was able to load the bases with one out and UIC head coach Mike Dee turned to reliever Alex Padilla to put out the fire. The redshirt sophomore got a shallow pop fly to right field and a ground ball to Bohanek at shortstop ona full count to dance out of trouble.

The Flames loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, and had the game-winning run on third base in the bottom of the 11^th, but neither time could the home team plate it. The bottom of the 12th was a different story. Bohanek coaxed a one-out walk of Gino DiVincenzo and he stole second with Ricardo Ramirez at the dish. the first baseman hammered a 2-0 offering to the gap in right-center field, allowing Bohanek to score easily and setting off a celebration in the home dugout.

How It Happened (Game 1)

UIC got on the board first Sunday in the bottom of the fourth inning against YSU's Kevin Yarabinec. Bohanek walked and moved up to second base on a balk. Ramirez sacrificed his classmate to third with a bunt before Ota grounded out to the right side deep enough to allow Bohanek to score. UIC also threatened with a two-out rally thanks to a base hit from Thomas Norton and walks to Matt Bottcher and David Cronin, but the Penguins got a big strikeout to end that threat.

Birlingmair had allowed only one base runner through five innings before running into a jam in the top of the sixth. He hit the first man he faced and pinch runner DarShawn Robinson was on second base with two outs and Lorenzo Arcuri at the dish. Arcuri registered the first hit of the day for YSU, a clean single to right field. Robinson tested Ota's arm, but the sophomore was up the task as he fired to catcher Bowen Ogata to cut down the speedy Robinson to end the inning.

Ota then hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the sixth. After Ogata walked, Mickey McDonald muscled a sacrifice fly to deep center field, doubling UIC's lead. The Flames would add one more run in the seventh inning with two outs. Cronin singled through the left side, and after swiping second, the second baseman scored on Bohanek's base hit up the middle.

Birlingmair gave way to Schulewitz after eight fantastic frames. The senior surrendered a lead-off single, but he got a double-play ball to end the first game and nail down his second save in as many chances this season.

How It Happened (Game 2)

Neither lineup was able to generate much offense in the early stages of game two. The Flames has a base runner in each of the first three innings, but they left the man aboard in all three instances. UIC left two more men on base in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Youngstown State pressured Andersen and the Flames in the top of the seventh. Andrew Kendrick singled to left field to open the inning and he moved up to second two batters later. A walk to Josh Willoughby loaded the bases with one out and ended the afternoon for the fifth-year senior. Padilla took over and got a shallow fly ball to Josh Gere in right field before working a full count and getting Anthony Santoro to ground out sharply to Bohanek to end the threat.

Padilla continued to work unscathed through the eighth and ninth innings, setting up UIC for a big finish in the bottom of the final frame. McDonald walked on four pitches from Joe King before Rob Calabrese pushed him to second with a sacrifice bunt. King fell behind Brandon Gibis and intentionally walked the senior with one out, but he then got Norton to ground out to third base for the second. Cronin was also intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs for Bohanek. The shortstop made solid contact and hit a line drive, but it found Arcuri's glove in center field for the final out, setting up extra innings.

UIC's next chance to end the ballgame came in the bottom of the 11^th and the sequence started in an almost identical fashion to the ninth. McDonald walked, this time on five pitches, but he stole second base this time around and moved to third on a Calabrese sacrifice. The Penguins employed a five-man infield with Gibis at the dish and the left fielder grounded out squarely to Web Charles at second base. Norton put together another lengthy at-bat. He narrowly missed a game-winning hit down the right field line and when he put the ball in play, his tailing line drive found a glove for the third out.

Schulewitz went six up and six down in the 11^th and 12^th innings on the mound for the Flames. When it was UIC's turn to bat, Cronin opened the 1 2^th with a groundout to his counterpart at second. Bohanek drew the walk, stole second and scored when Ramirez split the gap with one powerful swing to send the Penguins packing.

Beyond the Box Score

• UIC improved to 4-0 at home this season. In 39.0 innings over those four wins, the Flames' pitching staff has a grand total of surrendered two earned runs with three shutout victories. The opposition (Chicago State and Youngstown State) hit .117 without an extra-base hit over those four contests. The staff has registered 23 strikeouts, while walking only 9.
• The Flames improved to 3-0 in extra-inning games this season. The first two wins came at seventh-ranked Vanderbilt during the second weekend of the season.
• Sunday's 12-inning game was the longest of the season and the longest since a 13-inning affair at Wright State on May 19, 2016. The Flames dropped that contest, 4-3.
• UIC has won its first three Horizon League games for the first time since the 2011 season. The Flames opened conference play with three victories over Cleveland State at Les Miller Field, winning 3-2 twice with a 13-1 triumph in the middle.
• Bohanek has hit safely in a team-high nine consecutive games after tallying one hit in each win on Sunday. Bowen Ogata also hit safely in both ends of the doubleheader to extend his hitting streak to seven games.
• Schulewitz has not allowed a run over 6.2 innings in six appearances this spring.
• Padilla has pitched a team-high 12.1 innings out of the bullpen this season. The transfer is 2-1 with a 1.46 ERA. He's got 10 strikeouts to lead all relievers and opponents are hitting .195 against the Chicagoan.

Postgame Reaction






Up Next

• The Flames will travel to Evanston for the second time in three weeks to meet the Northwestern Wildcats on Tuesday, March 21 at 3 p.m.
• UIC won the first meeting, 9-2, as it scored in every single frame of the seven-inning contest (darkness).
• The Flames return home next weekend to continue the conference slate with a three-game series against Valparaiso. The series begins Friday, March 24 at 4:05 p.m.