CHICAGO  – UIC received a pair of sensation starts on the mound Saturday as complete-game shutouts from Ryan Campbell and Charlie Cerny helped the Flames sweep a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Panthers. UIC took the opener 5-0 and secured the second win with a 4-0 triumph.
 
Campbell allowed only four hits as he struck out nine in the first game of the series, which was his third complete game of the season. In the nightcap, Cerny allowed only three hits as he pitched his a career-high 9.0 innings and fanned eight. Neither Campbell, nor Cerny, walked a batter all day long. It was the first time since Feb. 28 and March 1, 2015 at Missouri that UIC pitchers did not issue a free pass in back-to-back games.
 
Dominic Smith drove in three runs on the day for UIC, which moved into sole possession of second place in the Horizon League with the sweep. Aaron Ackerman hit the day's only home run, a rocket to right field in the bottom of the seventh in game two.

How It Happened – Game 1
The Flames broke through for the game's first run in the home-half of the fourth inning. Scott Ota began the frame with UIC's first hit of the game, a base knock up the middle. He was later on third base with two down when Alex Dee delivered a looping line drive that found the ground in left-center field to plate the run.
 
UIC added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth. Derrick Patrick got the offense moving with a one-out double down the line in left. Milwaukee's starter Austin Schulfer loaded the bases with a pair of walks, one intentional to Ota. With two outs Ogata smashed a grounder to Milwaukee's Ben Chally at the hot corner. Chally was able to field it, but a low throw was not handled at first and Patrick scored to make it 2-0 Flames.
 
The home team hung three on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Matt Bottcher was first to deliver with a two-out RBI single through the right side to score Ryan Lin-Peistrup and move Patrick to second. Then Smith delivered a double to the corner in right field that plated two more runs, though he was cut down trying to stretch the double into three. In any event it gave UIC a five-run lead, which was more than enough for Campbell.
 
Following a two-out single in the fourth, Campbell struck out Matt Quartel to begin a stretch that saw him send down 10 consecutive Panthers. By the time another Milwaukee batter reached to open the eighth inning, the Flames were comfortably ahead by five.
 
Head coach Mike Dee allowed Campbell to begin the ninth as he sat at 105 pitches. He got three ground balls, using only 10 pitches, to put away Milwaukee and nail down the fifth straight Horizon League victory for the Flames.
 
How It Happened – Game 2
Cerny followed Campbell's lead in game two. Making his second start of the season, the junior faced the minimum through 4.2 innings, with the help of double plays in the first and third. Milwaukee's Tyler Bordner reached on an error with two down in the fifth, but he was quickly erased on a fielder's choice that ended that inning.
 
After Cerny spun three of his career-high eight strikeouts in the top of the sixth, UIC nabbed the second game's first run in the bottom half. Lin-Peistrup was hit by a pitch to open things up and he found himself on third base with two down for Smith. The Flames' left fielder fell behind in the count, but battle through the at-bat to punch a base hit through the left side that scored UIC's shortstop and gave the Flames a 1-0 lead.
 
Following the stretch, the home nine tacked on another couple of runs. The first came courtesy of a solo home run, a rocket, by Aaron Ackerman out to right field. Dee then reached on an infield single and he'd go from first-to-third on a well-executed hit-and-run with Thomas Norton. With runners at the corners, Lin-Peistrup found a hole where UWM's second baseman had been. That RBI knock pushed the lead to three runs.
 
UIC added another tally with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Ota busted out of the box for a hustle double and he came around to score when Ogata delivered a single to left field. Like Campbell before him, that would be more than enough of a cushion for the starting pitcher.
 
Following a one-out single in the sixth, Cerny locked in for good. The Bloomington, Ill., native retired the final 11 hitters of the game in order to nail down his first career complete game in just 90 pitches.

Postgame Reaction







Beyond the Box Score

• UIC posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time this season and the first time since taking both ends of a doubleheader against Youngstown State on March 19, 2017. The Flames won those games 3-0 and 1-0 in 12 innings.
• The Flames did not issue a base on balls for the first time in 2018 in the first game, and then did it again in game two. It was the first time with no walks allowed since May 25, 2017 vs. Oakland in the Horizon League Tournament. It was the first time without walking a batter in consecutive games since Feb. 28 and March 1, 2015 at Missouri.
• The team ERA dipped to 2.97 following Saturday's victories. No other Horizon League team has a mark better than 4.02 (Wright State).
• Entering the weekend, only two pitchers nationwide used fewer than 94 pitches in a complete game. Charlie Cerny becomes the third member of the exclusive group as he used 90 on Saturday.
• Cerny has pitched 38.2 innings on the season, which meets the requirements for national statistical leaders (minimum 1.0 IP per team game). His ERA of 0.70 should lead the NCAA. He has allowed only three earned runs all season.
• Ryan Campbell is tied for seventh in the NCAA with seven complete games this season. He leads the Horizon League with 71.0 innings pitched this season and ranks second with six wins.
• Scott Ota had one hit in each game to extend his hitting streak to nine games. That is his best mark this season and the longest active streak on the club. He's also reach base safely in a team-high 19 consecutive games.
• Dominic Smith added to his team-best RBI total in Horizon League play. With two in the opener and one in the nightcap, he's got 16 in conference play. That is tied for fifth in the conference.
• The Flames improved to 17-4 this season when scoring at least four runs.

Up Next

• UIC will host Milwaukee to conclude the three-game series on Sunday, April 29 at 1:05 p.m.
• The Flames are scheduled to send sophomore Jacob Key to the mound. He picked up his first Horizon League victory of the year last Sunday at Northern Kentucky.