NEW ORLEANS – UIC opened the Andre Dawson Classic at Wesley Barrow Stadium on Friday, Feb. 16, and the Flames got into the win column right away by blanking the Southern University Jaguars, 3-0. In the nightcap, UIC surrendered a two-run lead before falling in 10 innings at New Orleans, 5-4.
 
Three different Flames drove in runs in the first half of a split doubleheader, while three pitchers combined to throw the first shutout of the season. Ryan Campbell, who spent most of the 2017 campaign as a reliever, got the start and scattered three hits over 7.0 IP.

UIC's Joshua Figueroa hit a two-run double for his first collegiate knock and scored on an error to give the Flames a 3-1 after three and a half innings.The Privateers later tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh and won with a walk-off single in the 10^th.

The Flames will have a rematch against Southern on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The game that will be televised live on MLB Network.
 
How It Happened vs. Southern
The sides were scoreless through three and half innings when UIC, the home team, broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning. Scott Ota and Aaron Ackerman drew back-to-back walks with one out before Bowen Ogata drove in the first run of the season with a base hit to left field that scored Ota. Thomas Norton followed and drove in Ackerman when he reached on a fielder's choice.
 
The Jaguars attempted to answer in the top of the fifth when it had a runner on third base with nobody out. Zavier Moore singled, stole second and made third on balk, but Campbell kept him right there with the help of one of five strikeouts and two balls hit at freshman shortstop Ryan Lin-Peistrup.
 
After Charlie Cerny relieved Campbell in the top of the eighth, the Flames tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the frame. With one down, David Becker pounded a double down the left-field line. He found himself on third base thanks to a wild pitch and he scored when Ackerman delivered his own two-base hit to right field that increased the UIC lead to three runs.
 
Cerny gave way to the reigning Horizon League Relief Pitcher of the Year Alex Padilla in the top of the ninth. The NCBWA preseason All-American struck out the side to nail down the save and the team's first win of the season.

How It Happened at New Orleans
The Privateers pushed across the first run of the evening when Cody Ducote doubled home a run with two outs in the bottom of the third. Jared McKay drew a leadoff walk to open the inning before coming around to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Figueroa helped the Flames get in front in the top of the fourth.Ota reached on a fielder's choice and Ogata singled with both players coming around on Figueroa's two-bagger to center field. The redshirt freshman moved to third base when Aaron Ackerman singled and subsequently scored on a throwing error from UNO's third baseman to put UIC in front 3-1.

The Privateers got one back in the bottom of the fourth, but the Flames went on the attack later in the top of the sixth. Matt Bottcher singled to start the frame and found himself on third base with the help of a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch. He scored with ease when Ogata muscled a double down the left-field line to give UIC a 4-2 cushion.

Another leadoff walk came back to bite the Flames in the bottom of the seventh. Jay Robinson drew the base-on-balls and scored on a double off the bat of Collin Morrill. The latter scored on an RBI single two batters later.

The contest required extra innings to decide. Norton singled to open the frame for the Flames and he took second on a sacrifice bunt from Lin-Peistrup. UIC could not bring him home and New Orleans capitalized in the home half. Beau Bratton doubled with one away and swiped third on a wild pitch. The Flames brought the infield in, but Darren Willis shot the gap to send the Privateers to their first victory of the season.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• The Flames ranked third in the NCAA with 11 shutouts in 2017 and picked up their first of 2018 in the first game of the season.
• Ryan Campbell threw a career-high 7.0 innings against the Jaguars. He earned his second career victory and first since April 25, 2017 against Chicago State.
• Scott Ota, who started 55 games in 2017, led UIC with two hits and reached base a game-high four times in game one thanks to a pair of walks.
• Alex Padilla notched his 11^th career save Friday afternoon against Southern. He ranks fifth on UIC's all-time list in that category.
• Bowen Ogata batted .500 (4-of-8) in the two games with two doubles and two RBI.
• UIC won its first game of the season for the first time since the 2015 campaign. That group pummeled Mississippi Valley State, 24-5, on Feb. 13, 2015. It was the first opening-game shutout since upsetting No. 24 Texas A&M, 2-0, on Feb. 15, 2013.
• Four Flames made their UIC debuts in the starting lineup Friday vs. Southern: David Becker, Aaron Ackerman, Dominic Smith, Ryan Lin-Peistrup. The first three are junior-college transfers, while Lin-Peistrup is a freshman from nearby Wildwood, Ill. Redshirt freshman Joshua Figueroa cracked the lineup behind the plate in the nightcap, while Ackerman served as the designated hitter against New Orleans.
• 2017 All-Horizon League selection Reid Birlingmair is slated to get the ball to start the nightcap at New Orleans.