CHICAGO – UIC avoided a letdown and scored early and often Friday night as it blanked the Youngstown State Penguins, 12-0, to win the series. It was the seventh shutout of the season for the Flames, which ranks fourth in the NCAA this season.
 
Last night UIC (27-16, 14-9) guaranteed itself the second seed in the upcoming Horizon League Championship next week. The Flames have finished no lower than second in its conference 16 times in 20 seasons under head coach Mike Dee.
 
Despite having clinched on Thursday, UIC flexed its collective muscle and scored 12 runs. Scott Ota drove in four runs and Derrick Patrick had three hits, including a two-run home run, and scored three times. On the mound, Charlie Cerny was sharp as he spun a career-high nine strikeouts in only 6.0 innings of work.
 
How It Happened
UIC went to work quickly against YSU starter Kip DeShields in the bottom of the first inning. Matt Bottcher drew a four-pitch walk with one away and Dominic Smith followed with a bloop single to center field. The next batter, Scott Ota, hammered his fifth triple of the season to the wall in right-center field to score both runners and give the Flames a 2-0 lead. Bowen Ogata followed and hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Ota and gave the home team a quick three-run edge.
 
Charlie Cerny was cruising on the mound as he retired the first nine Penguins in order and his offense struck for three runs once again to take a 6-0 lead. Derrick Patrick opened the inning with a ground-rule double and he scored three batters later on a sacrifice fly from Ota. Aaron Ackerman added to the lead with a rocket to center field that scored Smith and Ogata came home when Alex Dee reached on an error with two down to keep the inning alive.
 
The Penguins picked up their first hit of the day with one down in the top of the fourth, but Cerny racked up three more strikeouts in the inning to avoid any damage. The Flames then tacked on two more runs in the bottom half. Ryan Lin-Peistrup walked to open the frame and then Derrick Patrick clobbered his second home run of the season to left field, a two-run shot that gave UIC an 8-0 lead and ended DeShields' outing.
 
Youngstown State looked like it might break through in the top of the fifth with three straight singles, but on the third hit of the string, Ota threw out Andrew Kendrick trying to score from second base for the second out. Then Cerny fanned Web Charles to strand a pair of Penguins and keep the visitors off the scoreboard.
 
Patrick scored for a third time in the bottom of the sixth. He led off with a single to left and made third on Bottcher's two-bagger down the line. UIC's center fielder came in to score easily on Ota's RBI groundout to the right side. That gave the Flames a nine-run lead.
 
After an impressive double play that featured Wyatt Trautwein striking out a batter for the second out and Ackerman throwing out a would-be base stealer ended the top the seventh inning, UIC went to work again in the bottom half. Lin-Peistrup stroked a single to left-center field that scored pinch runner Trey Beckman from second base for the first run. Bottcher walked with the bases loaded to bring Thomas Norton home two batters later and Lin-Peistrup scored the third run of the inning on a passed ball that gave the home team a 12-0 lead.
 
Braeden Toikka and Alex Padilla, both appearing for the second time in as many nights, each threw a scoreless inning to finish out the game. Each posted two strikeouts.

Postgame Reaction

 



Beyond the Box Score

• Charlie Cerny career-high nine strikeouts and he did not walk a batter. He has 24 strikeouts and five walks in four starts against Horizon League foes, and all five of the free passes came in the same outing at Wright State.
• Both of Cerny's starts at home this season have resulted in shutouts for the Flames.
• All three relievers to enter the game for UIC – Wyatt Trautwein, Braeden Toikka and Alex Padilla – threw exactly 20 pitches in 1.0 IP with two strikeouts. Trautwein faced four hitters, while the final two relievers faced five each.
• UIC pitchers have allowed one earned run in 18.0 IP this series. The Penguins are hitting .161 as a club over the last two games with 25 strikeouts.
• Scott Ota hit his career-high fifth triple of the season in the first inning. It was his 13^th career three-base hit, which ranks third in UIC program history.
• Ota drove in four runs for the second time this season. He also did so on April 22 at Northern Kentucky.
• Eight of UIC's nine starting batters had a hit Friday. Only Derrick Patrick had a multi-hit game with three. He also scored a team-high three runs to match a career high.
• The Flames had five extra-base hits. Patrick hit the game's lone home run and also doubled. Ota tripled and Matt Bottcher and Trey Beckman added two-baggers, as well.
• Ota recorded his third outfield assist of the season when he threw out Andrew Kendrick trying to score from second base in the bottom of the fifth. That leads all Flames this season.
• UIC scored double-digit runs for the ninth time this season and the fourth time in Horizon League play. Twelve runs marked the largest margin of victory in League games.
• The Flames are 22-1 when leading after six innings and 23-4 when scoring three runs or more.
• UIC improved to 11 games above .500, which marks a new season high.

Up Next

• UIC and Youngstown State will conclude the regular season at Granderson Stadium on Saturday, May 19 at 12:05 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Jonathan Hood on the call.
• Sophomore Jacob Key is slated to start for the Flames. YSU has not announced its starting pitcher.
• Saturday marks the final home game for seniors Ryan Campbell, Wyatt Trautwein and Bowen Ogata. That group, along with team manager Brandon Marshall, will be honored in a postgame ceremony on the field.