COLUMBIA, Mo. – UIC came back from a four-run deficit to tie the game but could not find the go-ahead run as Missouri homered in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with the 11-10 win Sunday at Taylor Stadium.
The Flames produced a season-high 14 hits while they tallied their most runs.
Cody Bohanek led UIC at the plate as he picks up three hits, featuring his first double and home run of the season, three RBI and three runs scored. Five other players drove in runs for the Flames, with
Ricardo Ramirez registering a two-run double that tied the game at 10-10.
UIC got off to another good start by posting a pair of runs in the top of the first inning.
Mickey McDonald drove in the game's first run with an RBI single before Ramirez came in to score on a passed ball.
The Tigers snagged the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third and another single tally in the fourth, but the Flames fired back to reclaim the lead with two more runs in both the fifth and sixth frames. Freshman
Matt Bottcher collected a base hit to begin the frame before Bohanek went deep to left field to put his team on top, 4-3. They were unable to add any more scores in that inning, but the top of sixth started off in a big way.
Scott Ota and
Bowen Ogata blasted back-to-back home runs, both to left field, to increase the advantage to three runs.
Missouri pushed across two runs during its next at-bat before piling on five runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh. The big blow came in the form of a three-run home run off the bat of Trey Harris.
Trailing 10-6, UIC put together another big rally in the top of the eighth. Ogata got things started with a one-out single to left field. He made it to second on a wild pitch and third base when catcher
Rob Calabrese singled through the right side. Bottcher brought Ogata home with a single to center before Bohanek plated Calabrese with an RBI single of his own. After a pitching change, Ramirez clubbed a two-bagger that allowed both Bottcher and Bohanek to score and even the ledger at 10 runs a side.
Reliever
Alex Padilla got three quick ground-ball outs from the Tigers in the bottom of the eighth, but the Flames also went three-up, three-down in the top of the ninth. Missouri ended the game on one swing in the bottom of the ninth Kameron Misner went deep to lead off the frame and finish off the game.
UIC will return to Chicagoland and play its first mid-week game of the season on Tuesday afternoon at Northwestern. The first pitch in Evanston, Ill., is slated for 3 p.m. CT. It is the first of three scheduled matchups with the Wildcats this season. The Flames will welcome another local rival, Chicago State, for the home opener at Granderson Stadium on Friday, March 10 at 4:05 p.m.
