FAIRBORN, Ohio – UIC scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, but the Flames could not add on and they dropped the second game of a three-game series at Wright State, 3-2.
 
By winning the first two games of the final series of the regular season, the Raiders (36-18, 21-8 Horizon League) have tied the Flames (35-15, 21-8 Horizon League) atop the Horizon League standings. The winner of Saturday's series finale will claim the conference's regular season championship and host the Horizon League Tournament beginning on Wednesday, May 24.
 
How It Happened
UIC went to work right away against WSU starting pitcher Ryan Weiss. Thomas Norton walked to begin the game before David Cronin reached on a fielder's choice. Shortstop Cody Bohanek was up next and he uncorked a two-run home run over the left-field fence to give the Flames a quick 2-0 lead. Scott Ota tripled with two outs, but Weiss stranded him at third on a strikeout to end the inning.
 
The starting pitcher for the visitors, Reid Birlingmair, protected the two-run lead through three innings, but the Raiders broke through with a crooked number in the bottom of the fourth. Wright State started the frame with three consecutive hits and the third, a double from Seth Gray, brought two runs home to even the ledger. Gray later scored on a base hit off the bat of Kevin Whatley.
 
Birlingmair gave up a single to lead off the bottom of the fifth, but he retired seven consecutive Raiders before issuing a base on balls with one gone in the seventh inning. He struck out the next batter and gave way to Charlie Cerny out of the bullpen after 6.2 innings of work. Cerny got Zach Weatherford to ground into an inning-ending fielder's choice.
 
Cerny got the first two hitters in the bottom of the eighth out with ease before Gray singled. The sophomore right-hander then got Cory Heffron to look at strike three to end the inning and keep UIC's deficit at a run.
 
The Flames were down to their last out when Ricardo Ramirez singled to right field to keep the inning alive. He was lifted for pinch runner Josh Gere and the Raiders went to the bullpen and closer Derek Hendrixson for the second time in the series. Hendrixson's first pitch was wild and Gere advanced into scoring position, but he got a grounder right back to the mound two pitches later to nail down the save.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• UIC has dropped three consecutive games for only the second time all season, and the first time in Horizon League play. The Flames also lost three consecutive contests at Missouri, March 3-5.
• The Flames dropped to 4-4 in games decided by one run.
• UIC is now 29-3 when the opposition scores three runs or less. The team is 27-7 when scoring first as it did thanks to Cody Bohanek's first-inning homer.
• Bohanek has a career-high seven home runs. He hit two in his first three seasons in a UIC uniform, both of which came in 2016. The senior's year-to-year increase of +5 is tied with rob Calabrese for the largest on the team.
• As a squad UIC has launched 39 home runs this season. That is the most since the 2010 team clubbed 49 in the last season before the introduction of BBCOR.
• UIC's four hits were the fewest in a game this season. They had five hits on five other occasions, most recently in a 1-0 over Georgia Tech on April 28.
• Scott Ota collected two of UIC's four hits, including his team-high second triple of the season. The sophomore has a team-high four hits in this series and he is slugging .875 over the last two days.
• Starting pitcher Reid Birlingmair made his seventh quality start of the season. He also struck out at least four batters for the fifth consecutive start and the 11^th time in 13 starts this year.

 Up Next

• The finale of the three-game series is scheduled for Saturday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m. CT.
• Jack Andersen is slated to get the start for the Flames. He is 4-2 on the season with a 3.26 ERA. In eight Horizon League starts, the redshirt senior boasts a 1.94 ERA, which leads the conference.