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thevalley
Jacob Key
2
UIC UIC 24-21, 16-11 Horizon
4
Winner Northern Kentucky NKU 14-38, 12-16 Horizon
UIC UIC
24-21, 16-11 Horizon
2
Final
4
Northern Kentucky NKU
14-38, 12-16 Horizon
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UIC UIC 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 0
Northern Kentucky NKU 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 X 4 7 0

W: WILLIAMS, Sam (5-8) L: Key, Jacob (6-7) S: MARTIN, Joe (6)

Game Recap: Baseball |

UIC’s Four-Game Surge Snapped at NKU

Sixth-inning grand slam propels Norse to series-opening victory

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – UIC grabbed an early lead Thursday, but Northern Kentucky picked up a grand slam later in the ballgame to propel itself to a 4-2 victory over the Flames.

UIC (24-21, 16-11 Horizon League) took the lead on an RBI single from Alex Dee in the top of the first inning and it doubled the advantage on a two-out double by Ryan Lin-Peistrup in the second.

NKU (14-38, 12-16 Horizon League) grabbed the lead for good when it loaded the bases on three singles in the bottom of the sixth before Will Haueter hit a grand slam to give his team a two-run lead.

Jacob Key started for UIC and allowed only one hit over the first 5.0 IP before what proved to be the decisive sixth. He struck out seven and walked only one, retiring 13 consecutive Norse at one point.

How It Happened
  • The Flames scored in the first inning for the fourth consecutive game with a run in the top of the first. Derrick Patrick walked and was on second base with two outs when Alex Dee cracked a single into left field that scored the speedy Patrick and gave UIC a 1-0 lead.
  • The visitors orchestrated a two-out rally in the top of the second that led to another run. David Becker walked on a full-count pitch before Patrick picked up a base hit to center field. Then Ryan Lin-Peistrup muscled a double to the gap in right-center field and Becker easily scored from second base to give the Flames a 2-0 lead. Patrick motored around the bases and tried to score from first base, but NKU's relay cut him down at the dish and ended the inning.
  • Meanwhile Jacob Key was cruising on the mound. The junior retired 13 consecutive Norse following a two-out double in the bottom of the first inning. He struck out six of the 13 NKU hitters in that span before Matt Jewell singled to open the bottom of the sixth.
  • Jewell's single sparked a rally for the home team. Northern Kentucky singled three times to load the bases before Will Haueter unloaded the first pitch he saw over the fence in left-center field for a grand slam to give the Norse a 4-2 lead.
  • Northern Kentucky appeared poised to add on in the bottom of the seventh. The Norse had the bases loaded once again, but reliever Fred Gosbeth struck out Griffin Doersching, who ranks second in the conference to UIC's Scott Ota in home runs, to end that threat.
  • Ota himself tried to put another run on the board with a deep fly ball to the base of the wall in center field in the top of the eighth, but the effort was caught for the third out. Nick Oliff came on in relief of Gosbeth and worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half with two strikeouts. Chris Papapietro doubled with two down in the top of the ninth, but the Flames could not score and the contest concluded with a 4-2 win for Northern Kentucky.
Notable
  • Alex Dee's RBI single in the top of the first inning was the 100th hit of his UIC career.
  • Jacob Key collected seven strikeouts, marking the eighth time this season he has at least hit that mark, and the seventh time in the last nine starts. He fanned 14 NKU hitters in 12.0 IP against the Norse during the regular season.
  • Scott Ota went 0-for-4 on Thursday, ending a streak of reaching base safely at 29 consecutive games. It was the longest streak for any UIC player since Rob Calabrese reached safely in 42 straight games in 2017.
  • Thursday's game marked only the second time in 27 Horizon League games that Ota did not record at least one hit.
  • The Flames have outscored opponents 36-20 in the first frame this spring. UIC has plated six first-inning runs in its last four games.
  • UIC is 5-15 away from Granderson Stadium in 2019. The Flames are now 6-3 all-time at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
On Deck
  • UIC will continue final series of the regular season against the Norse on Friday at 12 p.m. CT.
  • The Flames are slated to send right-hander Joey Fredrickson to the mound. He is 5-5 with a 4.29 ERA in 12 starts this spring.
  • Wright State clinched its fourth regular-season championship in a five-year span on Thursday. The Raiders will host the Horizon League Championship, May 22-25.
  • The Flames can still secure the No. 2 seed, and with it a first-round bye.
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