CHICAGO – Behind big innings and timely hits, the UIC baseball team opened a four-game series against Northern Kentucky with a 15-11 victory at Granderson Stadium.
 
In a game that nearly lasted nearly as long (three and a half hours) as the rain delay (four hours) that proceeded the contest, the Flames (9-14, 8-9 HL) offense was firing on all cylinders from the get-go.
 
The UIC offense matched a season high in hits (15) and runs (18) and had three separate 4-run innings throughout the game.
 
After the Norse took the lead on a solo shot in the top of the first, UIC responded with four runs in the home half of the inning. Thomas Smart drew the first of his four walks Thursday to lead off the inning before the next two batters were retired. With two away, the Flames ripped off four consecutive singles by Joshua Figueroa, Cole Conn, Bryan Rosario and Thomas Norton to take a 4-1 lead.
 
Northern Kentucky pulled within one as Griffin Doersching hit his second home run of the game, a two-run blast, in the top of the third before UIC countered with a pair in the bottom of the inning. With runners on first and second and one away, Norton drove a double to center allowing Figueroa to score. Ryan Lin-Peistrup lifted a sac fly to left to put the Flames ahead by a 6-3 margin.
 
The bats kept going in the fourth as the Flames recorded their second 4-run inning of the contest. Ryan Nagelbach launched his third home run of the season to lead off the inning before a single by Matt Bottcher and an RBI double from Figueroa pushed the advantage to 8-3. Norton tacked on a run with an RBI infield single and Smart drew another walk to plate the 10^th run of the game.
 
The teams traded runs in the sixth, with Cory Moore picking up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center. UIC picked up an additional four runs in the seventh to take a commanding 15-4 lead. The Flames added their second leadoff home run of the game to open the frame, with Bottcher connecting on his third long ball of the season. Rosario drove in Conn, who doubled, with a triple to right before scoring on a sac fly from Norton. Smart rounded out the scoring with an infield single to plate Garrett McCarthy.
 
Northern Kentucky tried to make a late run, scoring four in the eighth and three in the ninth, but Peter Newton, making his collegiate debut, was able to finish off the ninth to secure the victory.
 
Jacob Key earned the win for the Flames, his third of the year, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits. The righty threw six innings, walking five and striking out a trio of batters.
 
Ten different Flames registered at least one hit, with Rosario (4) and Norton (3) leading the way. Norton drove in a team-high four runs while Rosario added three. Smart went a perfect 1-for-2 while drawing four walks.
 
The two teams will meet up on Saturday for a doubleheader, with first pitch of Game 1 slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN3.