FAIRBORN, Ohio – In an instant classic between two longtime rivals, No. 1 Wright State rallied from behind to top No. 2 UIC, 11-9, in an epic battle for the 2018 Horizon League Championship at WSU's Nischwitz Stadium.
 
The Flames (30-18) surrendered five runs in the first bottom of the first inning to fall into an early hole. After the tumultuous start, UIC starting pitcher Jacob Key settled in and held the Raiders (39-15) right where they were.
 
The offense sprang to life in the top of third. Designated hitter Thomas Smart walked to leadoff the frame and he eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Derrick Patrick. The Flames were unable to add on in that inning, but they were only scratching the surface.
 
UIC scored seven times in the top of the fourth. Aaron Ackerman, an All-Tournament selection, knocked in a run on an RBI double. Smart hit a two-run home run and two more scored on bases-loaded walks. Ryan Lin-Peistrup scored the go-ahead run before Patrick and Matt Bottcher came in to give the Flames an 8-5 edge.
 
Wright State scored one run in the bottom of the fourth, and another in the fifth to climb within a run. Then leading off the top of the seventh, Ackerman blasted a no-doubt home run to regain a two-run lead at 9-7.
 
The Raiders secured a solo home run from Zach Weatherford in the bottom of the seventh before tournament MVP Peyton Burdick muscled a two-run home run that gave WSU the lead for good.

In addition to Ackerman, Bottcher and game one starter Ryan Campbell were named to the 2018 All-Tournament Team.
 
How It Happened
UIC starting pitcher and All-Horizon League Second Team selection Jacob Key threw one pitch and got a quick out Saturday morning, but the Raiders soon sprung to life. JD Orr walked on four pitches and eventually scored from third base on a double from Gabe Snyder. Zane Harris added a sacrifice fly in the inning and Chase Slone and Zach Weatherford added RBI singles as the top seed scored five times in the frame.
 
The bottom of the Flames lineup got the offense moving in the top of third inning. Designated hitter Thomas Smart drew walk before Thomas Norton blasted a line drive back through the box and into center field. Ryan Lin-Peistrup attempted to sacrifice both runners into scoring position, but WSU third baseman made an errant throw to load the bases for Derrick Patrick. UIC's center fielder delivered a sacrifice fly to left-center field that was deep to allow all three runners to tag and move up. Smart came in to score the first run of the day for the visitors. The next two batters made solid contact on line drives, but the Raiders made defensive plays to escape without any further damage.
 
The line moved early an often for the Flames in the top of the fourth. Scott Ota cranked his second double of the tournament, and seventh of the season, to begin the frame. Two batters later, Aaron Ackerman doubled inside the bag at third base to bring Ota home. Smart was next up and he popped his first home run at UIC, a two-run bomb to left-center field.
 
The wheels fell off for the Raiders soon after. Norton reached on an error then Lin-Peistrup was hit by a pitch. WSU made a pitching change, but Jeremy Randolph walked three hitters in a row to plate two more runs. In his second at-bat, Ota reached on Slone's second error of the inning and allow two more Flames to score their sixth and seventh runs of the inning. Randolph walked Ackerman later, but stranded a pair with a strikeout to end the fourth.
 
Wright State scored one run in the bottom of the fourth and another in the sixth to trim the deficit to a run. The Raiders could have added on in the sixth, but reliever Noah Masa made a sliding stab on a line drive off the bat of Slone and he turned and fired to double Harris off at second base to end the inning.
 
Ackerman's home run that opened the seventh inning. was gone almost as soon as it left the bat. A no-doubt shot to right field put UIC ahead by a pair, 9-7.
 
The Flames got the first batter in the bottom of the seventh, but Weatherford knocked out a solo home run that made it a one-run game. After a second out and walk, Burdick went deep for the go-ahead home run that put the Raiders in front, 10-9. The tournament's top seed added an unearned insurance run in the bottom of the eighth before closing out a two-run triumph.

Beyond the Box Score

• The Flames won at least 30 games for the second consecutive season and the 11^th time in 20 seasons under head coach Mike Dee. The program record for wins in a season, 39, has been achieved three times, most recently in 2017.
• UIC finished first or second in the conference for the 16^th time in 20 seasons under Dee's direction. The Flames reached the championship game of the conference tournament for the 10^th time in that same span.
• UIC's seven-run fourth inning Saturday was the second time in as many games that the Flames produced as many runs in a single frame. The club scored seven times in the bottom of the third inning during Friday's elimination game against Milwaukee. UIC scored a season-high eight runs in an inning twice in 2018, most recently in the bottom of the fourth against Northern Illinois on March 14.
• UIC scored 59 runs of its 268 runs in fourth innings this season, 22 percent of the year-end total. The second-most prolific inning for the Flames was the ninth (32).
• Sophomore Thomas Smart became the 11^th different UIC player to hit a home run this season. Another newcomer, Dominic Smith, led the squad with six home runs.
• Scott Ota hit his seventh triple of the season to open the bottom of the fourth inning. It was his 14^th career three-base hit, which ranks third in program history behind Steve McGuiggan (17) and Mike Hughes (15). Ota's seven triples in 2018 rank third on UIC's single-season list.
• Aaron Ackerman, Matt Bottcher and Ryan Campbell were each named to the All-Tournament Team. Ackerman batted .385 in four games with three extra-base hits and five RBI to lead the Flames in both categories. Bottcher batted .357 with seven hits and four runs scored. Campbell threw a complete game shutout against Milwaukee on May 24 and retired the final 23 hitters he faced in the victory.
• UIC finished the season with a 2.98 ERA, the second-best mark in program history behind the 2017 mark of 2.65.
• Saturday marked the final time in a Flames uniform for seniors Bowen Ogata, Wyatt Trautwein and Campbell.

Postgame Reaction