NEW ORLEANS – UIC was trailing by three runs entering the ninth inning Saturday afternoon, but the Flames made an epic charge and pushed across eight runs in front of a national television audience on MLB Network to topple the Southern University Jaguars for the second time in as many days at the Andre Dawson Classic, 9-5.
 
The Flames (2-1) never led Saturday at Wesley Barrow Stadium entering the decisive final frame. UIC sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight times with the help of six hits, two of which cleared the fence, and a Southern error. Derrick Patrick's infield single tied the game at 4-4, and after a walk, Scott Ota singled to give the Flames the lead for good.
 
Joey Fredrickson earned the win in his first collegiate appearance. Jacob Key started the game for the Flames and turned in a quality effort behind 7.1 innings pitched with three earned runs allowed. The sophomore struck out a career-high nine hitters and surrendered only one base-on-balls Saturday.
 
How It Happened
UIC looked to get on the scoreboard first in the top of the third inning as the visiting team. Thomas Norton started the inning with the first hit of the day for the Flames, a base hit to left-center field. He moved to second on a passed ball and made third on a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Lin-Peistrup. Patrick was hit by a pitch in the knee to put runners on the corners with one away. SU's Daniel Franklin caught Patrick too far off the bag and the speedster was caught stealing. After the tag was applied the Jaguars threw home after Norton had broke for home. It appeared that UIC's third baseman slid around the swipe, but he was ruled out for the final out of the inning.
 
The Jaguars went in front when William Nelson doubled to open the home half of the third. He eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to right field, giving Southern a 1-0 lead. The home team added another tally in the fourth when Jayvean Williams tripled down the line in right to begin the frame and scored two batters later.
 
The Flames trailed by two when redshirt freshman Joshua Figueroa got UIC on the board in a big way in the top of the seventh. The Chicagoan went deep and out to left field for his first home run as a Flame. After Key fanned the side in the bottom of the seventh, UIC stranded the potential tying run at third in the top of the eighth.
 
Southern added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. A handful of walks, a wild pitch, a hit batsmen and just one single helped the Jaguars scored twice and take a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning.
 
UIC's resilience shined through in the latter stages Saturday. Aaron Ackerman singled to start things off and two batters later, David Becker blasted his first home run in a UIC uniform to right-center field, pulling the Flames within a run. Norton greeted a new hurler with a double before pinch hitter Alex Dee drew a walk in his first plate appearance of the season. Norton scored on an RBI single from Patrick to tie the game at 4-4.
 
Ota put UIC in front for the first time with a two-run single down the right-field line that plated Patrick and pinch runner Thomas Smart. Matt Bottcher, who walked following Patrick's base hit, scored on an RBI groundout from Bowen Ogata. Then Ackerman drove the nail in the coffin with his own two-run home run that put the Flames up by five after they trailed by three during his first at-bat of the same inning.
 
The Jaguars drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the ninth and Ashanti Walker came around to score. Fredrickson soon induced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to send UIC home happy.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• After not hitting a home run in two games on opening day, the Flames went deep three times Saturday. All three players that cleared the fence – Joshua Figueroa, David Becker and Aaron Ackerman – homered for the first time in a UIC uniform.
• The Flames had a season-high 14 hits Saturday. Thomas Norton had a game-high three hits, while Derrick Patrick, Scott Ota, Aaron Ackerman and David Becker notched two apiece. Both of Ackerman's knocks came in the ninth inning.
• Key's nine strikeouts were the most by a Flames pitcher this season. The sophomore's previous high was five, which he did twice as a freshman in 2017. His 7.1 IP Saturday were also a career-high and the most for any UIC starter this season.
• UIC's three starting pitchers this season (Ryan Campbell, Reid Birlingmair, and Key) have amassed 23 strikeouts and issued only three walks.
• Joey Fredrickson made his UIC debut out of the bullpen against Southern. He allowed one run in 1.1 IP against the Jaguars. The redshirt junior missed the 2017 campaign following Tommy John surgery.
• Scott Ota is hitting a team-high .400 (4-of-10) through three games. Bowen Ogata owns a team-best five hits and is one of three players with three RBI (Ackerman and Figueroa).

Postgame Reaction



Up Next

• UIC will finish the Andre Dawson Classic on Sunday afternoon against Prairie View A&M at 12 p.m. CT.
• Newcomer Braeden Toikka is slated to start the game for the Flames. He will be the first southpaw to climb the hill for UIC this season.