CHICAGO -- UIC finished its relocated series against Oakland by pulling out a doubleheader split against the Golden Grizzlies on Saturday. The Flames fell in the opener, 3-2, before bouncing back to cruise in the nightcap, 7-1.
Scott Ota and
Ryan Hampe each drove in runs for UIC (18-15, 11-6 Horizon League) in the first game Saturday, but Blake Griffith's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the difference.
In the nightcap, the Flames raced out to a 4-0 lead after four innings and they never looked back en route to a 7-1 triumph. Three UIC pitchers limited the Golden Grizzlies to a run on three hits. Ota drove in three runs with a double and a two-run home run to propel the offense.
How It Happened - Game 1
- UIC started the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. Leadoff man Matt Bottcher reached on a throwing error, stole second and moved to third base on another error. Scott Ota drove in the game's first run on a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.
- Oakland responded and took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first. UIC's Patrick Martin walked two Golden Grizzlies in the inning, and both scored on a two-run single from Blake Griffith.
- The Flames evened the ledger with a run in the top of the sixth. Derrick Patrick reached on an Oakland error to begin the inning and he went from first to third on a base hit from Ota. Then Ryan Hampe delivered an RBI groundout to score Patrick and make the score 2-2.
- Once again the Golden Grizzlies answered right away. Matt DiLeo singled, took second on a wild pitch, made it to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single from Griffith to move ahead, 3-2.
How It Happened - Game 2
- UIC scored in the top of the first inning, and this time the Flames scored twice in the opening frame. Joshua Figueroa came up with the bases loaded and one out and he delivered an RBI single to left field that scored Patrick. Then Ota scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Thomas Smart.
- UIC struck for another run in the third inning. Once again the sacks were packed and this time Sean Dee drove in Figueroa with an infield single to make it 3-0 in favor of the Flames.
- Patrick walked to begin the fourth inning and he scored all the way from first base when Ota muscled a double to right-centerfield.
- After Oakland cut its four-run deficit to three with a run in the bottom of the fifth, UIC extended the lead back to four in the top of the sixth. This time it was a double off the bat of Ryan Lin-Peistrup that scored Hampe from second base to make it 5-1 in favor of the Flames.
- Ota helped UIC tack on two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth. With Patrick on second base, the senior unleashed his 14th home run of the the season to give the the Flames a 7-1 lead.
Notable
- Scott Ota batted .375 with three home runs and seven RBI in four games this week. Four of his six hits over UIC's four games went for extra bases.
- Ota had at least three RBI for the eighth time this season in the second game Saturday. He hit safely in both games to extend his hitting streak to a team-high 18 games.
- Fred Gosbeth made his first career start in the second game of the doubleheader. The West Chicago, Ill., native surrendered one run on two hits over a career-high 6.0 IP. He struck out four and moved his record to 5-0 on the season.
- Matt Bottcher made his first career start at third base in the second game Saturday and Thomas Smart made his first-ever start at first base. Bottcher played second base in the opener, while Smart was in left field.
- UIC held the opposition to a season-low three hits for the second time this season in the nightcap.
- The Flames are 14-0 when scoring at least six runs this season.
