CHICAGO – UIC fell behind early, but a four-run fourth inning and a fantastic effort on the mound from starter Jake Dahlberg and a pair of relievers helped the Flames knock off the Northern Kentucky Norse, 5-2, at Granderson Stadium.
 
Dahlberg, the reigning Horizon League Pitcher of the Week, produced his fifth quality start of the season and third in five conference contests. He allowed just two runs (one earned) and scattered three hits over seven innings. He struck out eight for the second consecutive start and at least as many for the third time this year.
 
Connor Ryan and Alex Padilla teamed up to pitch the eighth and ninth innings for UIC (22-8, 11-2 Horizon League). The pair struck out three combined and did not allow a baserunner.
 
Offensively, Scott Ota paced the squad with three hits, as many as NKU's entire lineup. The sophomore also scored two runs. Bowen Ogata added two hits, while Cody Bohanek drove in a pair with a long single off the wall with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth.
 
How It Happened
The Norse scored right away in the top of the first inning. A dropped third strike and a walk put a pair of runners on base before a grounder back to Dahlberg advanced them both into scoring position. The reigning Horizon League Batter of the Week Trey Ganns then doubled to left field to drive in two runs. Dahlberg got his second strikeout of the inning and a sharp grounder to David Cronin at second base to finish the frame.
 
Ota hit a double that carried to the fence in left field on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the second inning. Three batters later, designated hitter Ogata flipped a single to the opposite field in right that allowed Ota to motor around from second base and cut the deficit to a single run.
 
Ota served as the rally starter once again in the bottom of the fourth as the Flames sent nine men to the plate while scoring four runs on four hits and an error. The sophomore singled to left field before Ricardo Ramirez reached on an error with one out. Ogata singled to load the bases before Ota scored on a squeeze play with Brandon Gibis at the plate. Gibis got the bunt down and the Norse had no play as Ota scored. Mickey McDonald was hit by a pitch to drive in a run the hard way before Cody Bohanek greeted the new NKU pitcher, Charlie Jerger, by ringing a long single off the wall in left field that drove in two runs and gave the Flames a 5-2 lead.
 
As it turned out, that would be all the offense UIC would need. After Ganns' double in the top of the first, Dahlberg retired seven consecutive Norse and 17 of the next 18 through six innings. The senior walked the first man he faced in the seventh, but after his eighth strikeout and a single, he got two fly balls to McDonald in center field to end the inning unscathed.
 
Ryan spelled Dahlberg out of the bullpen in the top of the eighth. The Homer Glen, Ill., native struck out the first two hitters he faced before a grounder to Cronin ended that inning. Padilla entered in the ninth and worked a perfect frame to nail down his fourth save of the season, and more importantly, UIC's 21^st win overall and 11^th in Horizon League play.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• The Flames have won 18 of their last 20 games dating back to March 7.
• Dahlberg is averaging eight strikeouts and 1.5 walks in his last two outings. He lowered his ERA from 2.44 to 2.29 following Thursday's performance. Opponents are batting .172 against him this season.
• The Vancouver, Wash., native has won in six consecutive starts dating back to March 9 against Chicago State. All six outings have come at Granderson Stadium
• Scott Ota recorded three hits in a game for the third time in his collegiate career. He has accomplished the feat twice this season (March 24 vs. Valpo) and twice all-time against NKU (April 16, 2016). Thursday marked his ninth multi-hit game of the season.
• The Flames have registered five separate four-plus-run innings over the last three games. The team has tallied a total of 34 runs in the three victories over Oakland (April 9), Northern Illinois (April 11) and NKU.
• Rob Calabrese extended his streak of reaching base safely to a team-high 25 consecutive games with a bunt single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
• Alex Padilla owns a 0.82 ERA in 13 appearances out of the bullpen with a team-high four saves. The redshirt sophomore has not allowed an earned run since March 5 at Missouri and he has surrendered only one unearned tally since that game.
• The Flames' staff ERA lowered to 2.90 following Thursday's win. The lowest mark in program history for an entire season belongs to the 2003 staff, which posted a 3.19 in a 39-win season that culminated with an NCAA Regional berth.
• UIC has seven hitters batting .309 or better in Horizon League play. Calabrese leads the group with a mark of .380 with team-highs in hits (19) and doubles (5) in League play. His slugging percentage (.600) also leads the Flames in conference games.
• UIC improved to 14-2 at Granderson Stadium this season.

Postgame Reaction





Up Next

• The Flames and Norse will return to Granderson Stadium for the second game of the three-game set on Friday, April 14 at 3:05 p.m. CT.
• Reid Birlingmair (3-2, 3.59 ERA) is scheduled to make his ninth start of the season for the Flames. NKU's probable starter is Jean-Francois Dionne (2-2, 8.44 ERA).
• On Saturday, UIC will be hosting a beer garden between Granderson Stadium and Flames Field from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The baseball game will begin at 12:05 p.m. Both tennis teams and the UIC softball team will also be in action at home Saturday.