ROCHESTER, Mich. – The UIC baseball team opened its four-game series with Oakland in emphatic fashion, pounding out 13 hits en route to an 8-2 victory over the Golden Grizzlies Friday (March 26).
 
The 13 hits for UIC (4-11, 3-6 HL) are the second-most for the Flames in a game this year, falling one shy of matching the season high of 14 set in UIC's opening series against Florida International. Thomas Smart led the attack out of the leadoff spot, going 4-for-6 with a double and a pair of RBIs. Cole Conn finished the day 3-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in as well.
 
Jacob Key kept the Oakland (8-12, 2-7 HL) bats at bay, scattering three hits and four walks across six innings of work while striking out five and allowing just one run. Fred Gosbeth came in for the final three innings to earn the save, allowing a run on a pair of hits while fanning three batters.
 
UIC threated early, as the Flames got the first two runners on in both the first and third inning but were unable to capitalize in either frame. The offense opened things up in the fourth, however, as the Flames jumped out to a 4-0 lead.
 
A one-out walk by Conn and a double from Thomas Norton put runners on second and third with one away. A wild pitch allowed Conn to score while Norton moved up 90 feet. Joshua Figueroa stepped up and ripped the second double of the inning to center, extending the lead to 2-0. A third double of the inning, this time by Smart, drove in two more to put UIC ahead by a comfortable 4-0 margin.
 
Oakland got on the board with a run in the bottom of the sixth before the Flames responded with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back walks by Ryan Nagelbach and Matt Bottcher to open the inning put the Flames in business before Moore sacrificed the pair over with a bunt. Conn delivered on the scoring opportunity, driving in the duo with a single to center.
 
The Golden Grizzlies added a run back in the eighth but the Flames would tack on a pair of insurance runs in the ninth. With runners on second and third and one away, Joshua Figueroa lifted a sac fly to center to drive in a run. Garrett McCarthy followed with an RBI single to cap the UIC scoring attack.
 
Gosbeth worked around a one-out walk to close the door and complete the three-inning save.
 
The two teams will be back in action Saturday for a doubleheader, with Game 1 scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. (CT).