CHICAGO – UIC scored seven runs in the final two innings Sunday to come from behind and knock off the Milwaukee at Granderson Stadium, 8-7, and complete a three-game sweep of the Panthers.
 
The Flames were the visiting team for the series, which was supposed to be held at Milwaukee's Henry Aaron Field. With the bases loaded, Ricardo Ramirez swung at the first pitch he saw from UWM's Jared Reklaitis in the top of the eighth inning and he belted it beyond the wall for his second career grand slam, one that gave UIC a 5-4 lead. The Flames added three more runs in the ninth, highlighted by a towering home run from Rob Calabrese.
 
UIC would need all eight of those runs as the Panthers mounted a furious rally in the bottom of the ninth. UWM scored three times and had the game-tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first when reliever Alex Padilla struck out Matt Quartel to end the game.
 
The Flames improved to a season-high 10 games above .500 with the win (17-7) and they won for the eighth time in nine Horizon League contests. Overall, UIC has won 13 of its last 14 games dating back to a victory at Northwestern on March 7.
 
How It Happened
The Flames scored the first run of the game for the third time in as many games against the Panthers this weekend. Bowen Ogata opened the top of the second inning with a base hit down the right-field line and went from first-to-third when Mickey McDonald doubled to the same area. Ogata scored when the next hitter, Brandon Gibis, grounded out sharply to UWM shortstop Jeremy Wright.
 
The Panthers responded and grabbed their first lead of the series with two runs in the bottom of the second. Ben Chally singled to center field to open the stanza and he scored three batters later when Mike Jordahl flipped a base hit to the opposite field in left. Quartel scored the second run of the inning by alertly scampering home from third when the ball trickled away from UIC first baseman Ricardo Ramirez after the Flames tried to double up a runner there.
 
Milwaukee pushed across two unearned runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-1 lead. Chris Kelly and Wright both scored after being hit by a pitch and reaching on an infield single, respectively.
 
UIC starting pitcher Jack Andersen stranded three runners in the bottom of the fourth before retiring the Panthers in order in the fifth and working around a two-out double in the sixth. The fifth-year senior turned it over to Mitchell Schulewitz in the seventh and he kept Milwaukee off the scoreboard for the fourth consecutive inning.
 
UWM's Jay Peters allowed just one run through seven innings, but he gave way to Alex Fischer to begin the eighth. Fisher plunked David Cronin and walked Scott Ota before another pitching change welcomed Reklaitis to the game. UIC's Calabrese singled into left field, but Cronin slammed on the brakes rounding third to load the bases for Ramirez. Ramirez took the first pitch he saw from Reklaitis and blasted into the Panthers' bullpen in left field for a grand slam home run that gave the Flames a 5-4 lead.
 
After Charlie Cerny held the lead in the bottom of the eighth, UIC continued to build its lead in the top of the ninth. Thomas Norton reached on an infield single and he went from first-to-third on a well-executed hit-and-run with Cronin. Ota that muscled a sacrifice fly to left field that plated Norton and gave the Flames a 6-4 lead.
 
Speaking of muscles, Calabrese took a pitch from Jake Sommers and launched it not only over the outfield fence, but out of Granderson Stadium entirely. His fourth homer of the season helped UIC carry an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
 
Milwaukee made things interesting with three runs in the ninth and the potential game-winning run at first base, but Alex Padilla struck out Quartel swinging to end the game.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• The Flames have won 13 of their last 14 games dating back to March 7.
• As a team, UIC is hitting .320 with 37 extra-base hits in the last 14 games. Scott Ota (17), Cody Bohanek (13), Ricardo Ramirez (13), Rob Calabrese (12), and David Cronin (10) all own double-digit RBI during the span.
• The Flames are batting .315 in nine conference games with nine home runs, while scoring an average of 6.4 runs per game. On the other side, UIC pitchers boast a 2.14 ERA, while holding the opposition to a batting average of just .211. Opponents have recorded only 12 extra-base hits to UIC's 22 in League contests.
• Ramirez collected a season-high three hits, including his team-best sixth home run. That number matches his 52-game total from 2016, when he also led the club.
• Ramirez's grand slam was the second of his career. He also went deep with the bases loaded on Feb. 20, 2016 in a 22-5 win at Texas Southern.
• Calabrese had two hits on the day, including the home run in the ninth. The junior owns UIC's longest active hitting streak at nine games. Both he and Cronin have reached safely in 19 straight contests to lead the Flames.
• Eight of the nine hitters in UIC's starting lineup collected at least one hit Sunday. The one to go hitless was Brandon Gibis, but even he drove in a run on an RBI groundout in the second inning.
• Mitchell Schulewitz notched his second win of the season thanks to his scoreless inning of relief. It was the sixth win for a UIC reliever this season.
• Alex Padilla was credited with his second career save. He is tied with Schulewitz for the team lead in that category.
• Only two of the seven runs Milwaukee scored Sunday were earned. The Panthers were aided by two UIC errors. The Flames won for the first time this season when committing at least two defensive miscues (1-2).

Postgame Reaction





Up Next

• UIC will play under the lights for the first time this season at Granderson Stadium when it hosts Northwestern on Tuesday, April 4 at 6:05 p.m.
• The Flames and Wildcats have met twice already this season at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park in Evanston. UIC won the first meeting on March 7, 9-2, in game that was shortened to seven innings because of darkness. The road team also won on March 21, 7-1, in a full nine-inning affair.
• Freshman Jacob Key is expected to make the start for the Flames. He is 3-0 on the season with a team-best 1.69 ERA. It will be his third start against Northwestern. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native is 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA against the Wildcats.