CHICAGO – UIC trailed by a run throughout much of the early going Sunday, but the Flames rallied to push across runs in the seventh and eighth innings to come from behind and knock off Chicago State at Granderson Stadium, 2-1.
 
CSU (4-9) used three straight base hits to right field to open the second inning and scratch out the early lead. UIC's David Becker and Joshua Figueroa helped the Flames (10-4) even the ledger with a triple and sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh. An inning later, Scott Ota singled to begin the frame and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch from CSU's Joe Fitka.
 
How It Happened
Both starting pitchers – Zach Thomas for CSU and Jacob Key for UIC – retired the side in order in the first inning. The Cougars used three consecutive base hits to right field to push across the first run as Matt Cox drove home Tyler Lowe from second base. Chicago State was poised to add on, but Key got two strikeouts, including one with the bases loaded to end the threat.
 
The first scoring chance for the Flames came in the bottom of the third. Ryan Lin-Peistrup doubled down the left-field line and UIC loaded the bases with the help of a dropped third strike and a hit batsmen. Like Key before him, Thomas got a big strikeout with the sacks packed to escape the jam.
 
Key retired eight Cougars in a row before Tyler Zunkel walked with one out in the fifth. UIC's sophomore starter caught Zunkel too far off the base at first, however, and caught him stealing. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native then sent down seven of the next eight hitters he faced in succession to finish his fourth start of the season on a high note. In the seventh, Key picked up two more punch-outs to finish with seven on the day.
 
David Becker, already with one of UIC's three hits on the afternoon, opened the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff triple to the wall in right-center field. Head coach Mike Dee tapped Joshua Figueroa to pinch hit and the redshirt freshman muscled a ball all the way to the warning track in right, plenty deep to score Becker from third.
 
After Charlie Cerny got CSU to hit three ground balls to new shortstop Matt Bottcher in the top of the eighth, the Flames went back to work on offense. Scott Ota led off with a base hit up the middle and he would go from first-to-third on Alex Dee's single to the opposite field in right. Later with two outs, reliever Joe Fitka uncorked a pitch that bounced in front of the plate and scooted far enough away to allow Ota to scamper home and give UIC a one-run lead.
 
Cerny picked up the first two outs in the ninth before giving way to All-American closer Alex Padilla. Padilla needed only two pitches to get Daulton Ryans to roll out to Becker at second base and end the ball game.

Postgame Reaction

 



Beyond The Box Score

• UIC won for the fourth consecutive time Sunday, and the fourth time in four Chances at Granderson Stadium.
• The Flames improved to 4-2 in one-run games this season with a 4-3 victory on Friday and a 2-1 triumph Sunday against the Cougars.
• UIC had a series-best six hits Sunday. Three of the six went for extra bases after the Flames had only one extra-base hit in the first two games of the set (Bowen Ogata's home run on Friday).
• Junior Charlie Cerny has not walked a batter in 15.0 innings of work over nine appearances this season. He has made four straight scoreless appearances and his 0.60 ERA is tops among all UIC pitchers this season.
• Sophomore Jacob Key went at least 7.0 innings for the second time this season. He has had at least six strikeouts in all four outings this year and he leads the Horizon League with 33 on the season.
• Redshirt junior Alex Padilla picked up save number five on the season and 15 for his UIC career. That career total ranks third in program history behind David Haehnel (16) and Brett Davis (30).
• Sophomore Thomas Smart walked in his first three plate appearances Sunday. It was the first time this season that a member of the Flames walked more than twice in a game.
• UIC sits six games over .500 (10-4) for the first time this season. The Flames secured their first series sweep of the season with Sunday's triumph.

Up Next

• UIC will continue its 12-game homestand on Wednesday, March 14 against Northern Illinois. That is a schedule change as the contest was originally slated for Tuesday. First pitch will be at 4:05 p.m.
• The Flames open Horizon League play on Friday, March 16 against Northern Kentucky.