NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The UIC baseball team dropped a 9-0 decision to No. 4 Vanderbilt Friday (Feb. 21) evening to open up a three-game set against the reigning national champions.
 
Four Flames registered hits in Friday's game while freshman Zak Gould came on in relief and toss 2.1 scoreless innings while striking out a pair.
 
The series continues Saturday, with first pitch slated for 2 p.m.
 
How It Happened

• Vanderbilt struck first, as a leadoff triple came around to score in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
• UIC looked to counter back in the top of the third when Ryan Lin-Peistrup and Brett Tressen both singled to lead off the inning. A sac bunt by Matt Bottcher put runners on second and third with only one out, but a strikeout and groundout ended the Flames threat.
• The Commodores tacked on a second run in the bottom half of the frame following a sacrifice fly. Vanderbilt would extend its lead to 6-0 in the fourth inning behind a pair of doubles and four total hits in the inning.
• Vanderbilt would add a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth when Gould came in to pitch and retired the final batter of the inning on a flyout.
• Gould worked around some trouble in the seventh an eighth, striking out a pair while allowing no runs.

News and Notes

•  Bottcher picked up his team-leading fifth hit of the year with a single in the eighth inning.
• Gould made his second appearance out of the bullpen this year and has now thrown 3.1 scoreless innings to begin his UIC career.
• Lin-Peistrup has now reached base safely in four of the first five games this year.