CHICAGO – Four different players drove in a run Friday afternoon as UIC opened a three-game series with a 4-3 victory over Youngstown State at Granderson Stadium.

Joshua Figueroa, Ryan Hampe, Sean Dee and Derrick Patrick all drove in runs, while Hampe and Patrick picked up two hits apiece to propel the Flames (22-20, 14-10 Horizon League).

The bullpen provided 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, while starter Jacob Key struck out seven Penguins (12-35, 6-17 Horizon League). Sam Menegat picked up his first victory in conference play, while Alex Padilla knocked down his sixth save of the season.

How It Happened

• UIC sparked a two-out rally in the bottom of the first inning to score the game's first run. Scott Ota doubled deep to right field before Ryan Hampe walked. Then Joshua Figueroa sliced a base hit to left-center field that allowed Ota to score and give the home team a 1-0 lead.
• The Flames doubled their advantage in the bottom of the third inning. Derrick Patrick picked up a bunt single to begin the frame and he was on second base with one out. Ota walked before Hampe flipped a single into right field that allowed Patrick to score and put UIC in front, 2-0.
• UIC continued to add on in the bottom of the fourth inning. Alex Dee was hit by a pitch and he moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by David Becker. Sean Dee stepped to the dish and muscled a single to center field that scored his older brother from second and put UIC in front, 3-0.
• The Penguins put together their first real threat in the top of the fifth. YSU picked up its first two hits of the ballgame, but Jacob Key picked up three strikeouts in the inning, leaving two runners in scoring position as the rally ended.
• Youngstown State broke through with three runs in the top of the sixth as the Penguins sent nine batters to the plate against Key and relievers Jordan Krueger and Sam Menegat. Jeff Wehler had an RBI groundout and Drew Dickerson hit a two-run double in the inning.
• UIC regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ryan Lin-Peistrup hustled his way to his first career triple with one out and he scored with ease when Patrick lined a single into center field. The knock, his second of the day, gave the Flames a 4-3 lead.
• The dynamic duo of Mark McCabe and Alex Padilla pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Both struck out one Penguin during the outing and Padilla pitched a perfect ninth to collect his sixth save of the campaign.

Notable

• With his first-inning double, Scott Ota has hit safely in 23 of 24 Horizon League games and he has reached base safely in 27 straight contests overall.
• Derrick Patrick and Ryan Hampe each had multi-hit games for UIC. It was the seventh such effort for Patrick and the 13^th for Hampe. Hampe extended his hitting streak to a career-high eight games, the longest active streak on the squad.
• Both Patrick and Hampe are hitting .500 against YSU in four games this season with eight and seven hits, respectively.
• Sean Dee had three RBI in the last two games for the Flames.
• Jacob Key was perfect through 3.2 innings pitched and he did not allow a hit through 4.0 innings.
• Key collected seven strikeouts, marking the seventh time this season he has at least hit that mark, and the sixth time in the last eight starts.
• Sam Menegat collected the win with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief Friday. It was his first victory against an Horizon League opponent and his first overall since April 9 at Northern Illinois.
• Alex Padilla has struck out at least one batter in 15 of his 22 appearances this spring. He earned his sixth save Friday, which was the 24^th of his career. He is second on UIC's all-time list in that category behind Brett Davis (30).
• The Flames are 22-0 with a lead after seven innings. The squad is 18-6 when scoring first in a ballgame.

On Deck

• The series will continue on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m.
• UIC is expected to send senior Joey Fredrickson to the mound. He's likely to be opposed by YSU's Travis Perry.