CHICAGO -- UIC exploded for 11 runs in the first three innings Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game series sweep of the Youngstown State Penguins with a 13-4 victory at Granderson Stadium.

One of 11 seniors honored Sunday, Patrick Martin was magnificent on the mound for UIC (24-20, 16-10 Horizon League). He allowed just one unearned run on five hits over 5.0 innings. The Arlington Heights, Ill., native struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Freshman Ryan Hampe launched a two-run home run as he and Ryan Lin-Peistrup paced the offense with three RBI apiece, while senior Scott Ota drove in two runs as well.

How It Happened

• For the third time in as many games in the series, the Flames struck for a score in the bottom of the first inning. Scott Ota was walked with two outs and clean-up man Ryan Hampe made the Penguins pay with a towering two-run home run to UIC's bullpen in left field.
• The Flames poured it on in the bottom of the second as they send 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on five hits. Chris Papapietro, Hampe and Alex Dee all had RBI singles in the inning, with Papapietro's and Hampe's not leaving the infield. Joshua Figueroa hit a sacrifice fly in the frame, while Ryan Lin-Peistrup ripped a double down the left-field line to score a pair of runs. Both Lin-Peistrup and Sean Dee reached base safely in both plate appearances in the inning, and both scored a run.
• Youngstown State picked up an unearned run in the top of the third, but UIC bounced right back to add two more to its total in the bottom of the inning. With two runners in scoring position, Derrick Patrick and Papapietro, Ota worked an 11-pitch at-bat and he won the battle by driving a single into center field to plate both runners and give the home team an 11-1 advantage.
• After a couple of scoreless stanzas, the Flames scored another run in the bottom of the sixth. Figueroa smashed a single into right field and after getting to second on a passed ball and taking third on a base hit from Thomas Smart, he scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Lin-Peistrup. That gave the Flames a 12-1 lead, matching their largest of the afternoon.
• The Penguins picked up a run in the top of the seventh, but a handful of UIC reserves helped to get it back in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch hitter Lane Cobb was hit by a pitch before another, Tom Farrell, walked on four pitches. Lin-Peistrup singled to load the bases then Sean Dee hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Cobb to make it 13-2.
• Closer Alex Padilla picked up the first two outs of the ninth, striking the final batter he faced on three pitches. Head coach Mike Dee lifted Padilla so he could be congratulated by teammates and fans as he left the mound for the final time at Granderson Stadium.

Notable

• Nine of UIC's 11 seniors played in their final home game at Granderson Stadium on Sunday. Derrick Patrick, Scott Ota and David Becker were in the starting lineup, while Patrick Martin opened on the mound. Braeden Toikka and Alex Padilla appeared in relief, while Dominic Smith, Riley Hebert and Danny Riley appeared as pinch hitters with the former pair also playing in the outfield.
• Another senior, Joey Fredrickson, started and picked up the victory on the mound Saturday afternoon. The 11^th, Noah Masa, appeared as a pinch runner and pinch hitter before undergoing season-ending surgery in April.
• UIC's seven-run outburst in the second inning was the team's most prolific frame since scoring nine times in the bottom of the fifth inning against Northern Kentucky on April 12. The Flames won that contest 16-2.
• Martin turned in a sterling effort on the mound in his last effort at Granderson Stadium. He allowed one unearned run in 5.0 innings and struck out three without issuing a walk. It was the first time in eight starts this spring that the left-hander did not issue a base on balls.
• Martin was 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA in two starts against Youngstown State this spring. He struck out seven and allowed two earned runs in 8.1 innings pitched.
• Ryan Hampe batted .455 (10-for-22) with a double, two home runs and nine RBI in six games against Youngstown State this spring.
• Ota has hit safely in 25 of 26 Horizon League games. He has reached base safely in 29 consecutive games. That is the longest streak for any UIC player since Rob Calabrese reached safely in 42 straight games in 2017.
• Jake Pomykalski made his UIC debut on the mound in the ninth inning Sunday.
• UIC is 7-0 when scoring at least 10 runs this season and 17-0 when scoring at least six times.
• The Flames scored two first-inning runs and they have outscored opponents 35-20 in the first frame this spring. In this series, UIC outscored YSU 5-0 in the first inning.

On Deck

• UIC will wrap up the regular season next weekend at Northern Kentucky.
• The series opens on Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT.