EDINBURG, Texas -- UIC opened a three-game series at UTRGV under the lights Friday night and the Flames outlasted the hosts, 4-3, to pick up their third consecutive victory and fourth in five games to open the season.

Junior Reid Birlingmair was sharp in his second start of the season for UIC (4-1). The Normal, Ill., native tossed 7.0 scoreless innings and struck out six hitters while allowing only three hits on the evening.

UIC scored first Friday, added a run in the top of the eighth and two key tallies in the top of the ninth to outlast UTRGV, which received votes in this week's NCBWA poll.

How It Happened
After three scoreless innings from Birlingmair and UTRGV starting pitcher Carter Johnson, UIC broke through in the top of the fourth inning. Scott Ota started the frame with a base hit and he came all the way around to score from first on a double to right field from newcomer Aaron Ackerman. Ackerman tried to stretch his two bases into three, but was cut down on a strong relay from UTRGV.

Birlingmair continued to hand zeroes on the scoreboard, completing 7.0 scoreless frames before the Flames tacked on another run to their total in the top of the eighth inning, this time against reliever Juan Carreon II. UIC's Ryan-Lin Peistrup and Derrick Patrick were on the corners following an infield single and an error on Carreon. Dylan Gilbert followed for the Flames and hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Lin-Peistrup and register his first RBI in a UIC uniform. UIC locked to plate a few more, but UTRGV got an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

UTRGV cut its deficit in half with a single unearned score in the bottom of the eighth against the Flames bullpen.

Leading 2-1, UIC scratched across two important runs in the top of the wild ninth inning, all without the benefit of a hit. Two of the first three Flames to come to the plate reached on errors, one on UTRGV's second baseman and another on the shortstop. Then David Becker and Lin-Peistrup were both hit by a pitch to load the bases and then bring in a run. The next batter, Derrick Patrick, reached on the third UTRGV miscue of the frame to bring pinch runner Trey Beckman in to score and push the lead to three runs at 4-1.

UIC would need the cushion because its own defensive miscue in the bottom of the ninth would aid the home team. Alex Padilla entered the game for the Flames and surrendered a leadoff single before recording two quick outs via a strikeout and ground out to third baseman Thomas Norton. UTRGV's Coleman Grubbs hit a ball to the outfield, but the Flames were unable to corral it and an unearned run scored. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and Grubbs eventually scored on a wild pitch before Padilla buckled down and fanned cleanup hitter Aaron Dees to nail down his second save of the season and the fourth win of the young season for the Flames.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• Charlie Cerny threw the eighth inning for the Flames. The junior has appeared in four of UIC's five games so far, while allowing just one earned run in 7.0 innings of work. Cerny has recorded 12 strikeouts and has not issued a base on balls in 2018.
• Aaron Ackerman continues his red-hot start to the the season. The redshirt sophomore transfer is batting a team-best .444 through five games with eight hits, including five that have gone for extra bases. Ackerman has a team-high six RBI in the early going. Ackerman had two of UIC's seven hits Friday, including an RBI double.
• Reid Birlingmair picked up his first win of the season. The junior has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.8 through two outings.
• UIC has 14 doubles in five games this season. Ackerman (4) and Bowen Ogata (3) have half the two-base hits.

 Up Next

• The series at UTRGV continues Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT.
• The reigning Horizon League Pitcher of the Week Ryan Campbell is slated to start for the Flames, while southpaw Jorge Flores will throw for UTRGV.