CHICAGO – UIC pounded the ball all over Granderson Stadium Tuesday afternoon and 10 different Flames drove in runs as the club eased its way to a 17-1 victory over the Viterbo V-Hawks.
 
The Flames (17-13) scored three-or-more runs in four different innings as got back in action after an extended break. Designated hitter Ben Tharp picked up his first collegiate hit in a big way, blasting a three-run home run to start the scoring in the second inning.
 
Wyatt Trautwein made his second start for UIC and was sharp once again. The senior allowed just two hits over 5.0 scoreless innings to secure his first win. The Barrington, Ill., native also struck out six V-Hawks, a career high.
 
How It Happened
Batting with two men aboard in the bottom of the second, Tharp crushed Wyatt Cook's offering over the wall in left field for a home run and his first career hit in his first career start.
 
The Flames put up another three-spot in the third. Bowen Ogata and Dominic Smith each pushed in runs on sacrifice flies before David Becker laced a base hit through the right side to bring in Scott Ota and give the home team a 6-0 lead.
 
The cushion was more than enough for Trautwein. After Viterbo's leadoff hitter reached on an error to start the game, the senior retired 10 consecutive V-Hawks (including four on strikes) before a one-out walk in the top of the fourth.
 
The bottom of the fourth saw UIC send 10 men to the plate and notch five more tallies on the scoreboard. Derrick Patrick walked, stole second and scored easily on Aaron Ackerman's double down the line in right. Ogata delivered a sharp RBI single to right-center field before Smith picked up his second RBI of the day on a single to right. Thomas Norton then drove in the inning's final run on a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
In front 11-0, the Flames added to that total once again in the fifth. Pinch hitter Thomas Smart was hit by a pitch to begin the frame and he made it to third base on Dylan Gilbert's second double of the season to left-center field. Alex Dee hit a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Smart.
 
The V-Hawks exercised good plate discipline to get their only run of the day in the top of the sixth. Viterbo coaxed four walks, including three with two out, to net their first and only run of the game.
 
UIC was held in check in the sixth, but went back to work in the bottom of the seventh. Trey Beckman drove in a run on an RBI double before Norton, who was the only Flame to play the entire game, pushed across another on an RBI grounder. Beckman scored on a wild pitch and Chris Macahon hit the first of two doubles to extend the home team's lead to 15 runs.
 
Smart and Gilbert teamed up once again to get a run for the Flames in the bottom of the eighth. Smart drew a base on balls to start the inning and he took second base on a wild pitch. Gilbert drove him in with a single to left field to complete the scoring on the afternoon.
 
Beyond the Box Score

• UIC's 17 runs marked the second time this season the club has scored at least as many, while the 16-run margin of victory is the largest to date.
• The Flames improved to 5-0 when scoring 10-plus runs and 14-4 when scoring three times or more.
• The Flames scored five times in the fourth inning Tuesday. The fourth frame has been the most prolific of the season for the squad as UIC has scored 36 runs in that inning, 16 more than the next highest frames (third and ninth).
• The Flames hit a season-high five doubles from four different players. Chris Macahon became the fifth player this season to collect a pair of two-base hits in a single game.
• UIC also hit a season-high four sacrifice flies Tuesday.
• Wyatt Trautwein's six strikeouts set a new career high and doubled his previous high mark. The senior had three in relief at Georgia Tech on March 2.
• Viterbo's three hits were the fewest by a UIC opponent this season.

Up Next

• UIC will resume Horizon League play with a three-game series that will take place at Northern Kentucky, April 20-22.
• The Flames have not played a conference game since April 8 after their three-game series against Milwaukee was wiped out by inclement weather last weekend.