AUBURN, Ala. – The UIC baseball team was unable to overcome No. 8 Auburn's offensive firepower, dropping both games of a doubleheader Saturday (Feb. 15). The Flames fell by an 18-1 margin in the opener and tried to rally late in the nightcap before dropping a 7-3 decision.
 
Matt Bottcher led the way with four hits on the day, with all four coming as part of a 4-for-5 performance in the Flames' second game. Freshman Nick Lopez made his UIC debut in the second game of the day, finishing 2-for-4, while Joshua Figueroa drove in a pair of runs to raise his total to four RBIs on the season.
 
UIC closes out its four-game series with the Tigers Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
 
How It Happened – Game 1

• Auburn got off to a hot start, plating three runs on three hits in the bottom half of the first to take a 3-0 lead.
• The Flames tried to put some two-out pressure on the Tigers in the third after Ryan Lin-Peistrup and Bottcher drew back-to-back walks, but the inning came to an end with the Flames still looking to get on the scoreboard.
• UIC cut into Auburn's lead in the fourth when Alex Dee hit a solo homerun to straightaway center. It was the eighth homerun of Dee's career and the Flames' second homer in as many games to open the season.
• The Tigers broke the game open with a four-run bottom half of the inning. The big blow came on a bases-clearing double by Ryan Bliss. Auburn tacked on six more runs in the sixth take a 13-1 lead.
• Ben Tharp led off the seventh with a single through the left side as UIC looked to climb back into the contest. UIC would go on to load the bases with one out but a Brett Tressen fouled out and Sean Dee was caught stealing to end the threat.
• Auburn scored three more runs in the seventh and two additional runs in the eighth to round out the scoring.

How It Happened – Game 2

• Auburn scored in the home half of the first inning for the third consecutive game, plating four runs out of the gate.
• UIC had a pair of runners in the second on walks by Garrett McCarthy and Cory Moore, but a pair of strikeouts kept the deficit at four.
• The Tigers tacked on single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh inning to build a 7-0 lead.
• The Flames didn't go down without a fight, scoring three runs in the ninth inning. Lopez singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Tharp singled to left and advanced to second on an error. Figueroa followed by ripping a double to left to drive in a pair of runs. Down to their final out, Bottcher recorded a triple to drive in Figueroa and cap UIC's comeback attempt.

News and Notes

• Thomas Smart has reach base safely in all three games to start the season
• Figueroa has tallied two RBIs in two of UIC's first three games
• Freshmen Teague Conrad and Zack Gould each made their UIC debuts on the mound in relief. Gould pitched a scoreless frame in UIC's second game of the day, striking out a pair of Tigers.