Jacob Key threw a second consecutive complete game, and the Flames' offense pounded out 10 hits, in a 3-1 win over Milwaukee in the series opener Friday.

Key was brilliant from the first pitch.  He struck out a season high eight batters, and allowed multiple baserunners in only one inning.  He retired 13 of the last 14 hitters he faced, with only a solo home run in the eighth standing between him and a second straight shutout.

UIC loaded the bases in the second inning but failed to score.  Their next time up, Thomas Smart singled, was bunted to second, and scored on Joshua Figueroa's base hit.  Smart later doubled leading off the fifth, but was stranded after the Panthers turned a double play.

Cole Conn tripled and scored in the sixth inning as part of a two-hit, two-walk performance.  Ryan Nagelbach's sac fly drove in the eventual game-winning run.  The Flames tacked on an insurance tally in the eighth when Cory Moore was hit by a pitch, moved to third after two bunts, and was driven in by Smart after an error kept the inning alive.

Milwaukee threatened to score first when Mitchell Buban hit a second-inning leadoff double.  Key set down the next three batters, the final two via strikeout.  He got into trouble only once more, in a two-on, one-out situation in the fourth.  From that point on, the Panthers had just two hits in the last 5 2/3 innings.

Smart had three hits including a double and an RBI.  Figueroa singled twice, as each of the Flames' top six batters had at least one hit.  Thomas Norton walked twice.

UIC put the leadoff batter on base seven times.  All three of their runs were scored by the first batter of the inning.

Key improved to 5-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.26.  It was his fourth start allowing one or no runs, including a seven-inning complete game win over Milwaukee in the teams' first series in March.

The series will continue Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon.  The final game will be Sunday at noon.