HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The UIC baseball team enters postseason play as one of the hottest teams in the country as the Flames completed a four-game sweep of Northern Kentucky with a 10-7 in the regular season finale Sunday afternoon.
 
With the victory, UIC has now won 11 consecutive games and have been victorious in 21 of its last 23 contests. UIC has outscored its opponents by a 135-49 margin over the last nine games. The Flames secured the No. 2 seed in next week's Horizon League Championship and will begin its tournament run on Thursday, May 27 against third-seeded Youngstown State. The two teams split their eight-games this season, with both schools posting 3-1 records at home.
 
Six different Flames (29-16, 28-11 HL) hit home runs Sunday afternoon, as UIC outscored the Norse (17-31, 14-25 HL) by a 9-1 margin over the final eight innings of play.
 
Despite scoring the first run of the game, UIC found itself in a 6-1 one hole after an inning of action. Garrett McCarthy doubled to lead off the top of the first and came around to score on a single by Ryan Nagelbach. The Norse countered with six runs on four hits in the home half of the inning to take a 6-1 lead into the second.
 
The Flames got a trio of runs back in the second as Adam Weed singled up the middle to score Brett Tressen before Brandon Gelpi drove him home with a two-run blast to left center. Northern Kentucky scored its seventh and final run of the game in the third with a solo shot to left lead off the inning.
 
After a scoreless fourth, UIC evened the score at 7-all with a three-run inning. McCarthy led off the frame with a solo home run to left center before Ryan Lin-Peistrup followed two batters later with a solo blast of his own to left. With a runner on first and two away, Bobby Grimes ripped a double to left center, allowing Tressen to score and even the game at seven runs apiece.
 
A pair of long balls in the seventh pushed the UIC advantage to 9-7 as Nagelbach and Alex Dee each sent a shot down the left field line. Austin Franczak added a solo home run in the eighth to close out the Flames' 10-7 victory.
 
Tanner Shears earned the victory, pitching six innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits and a walk while striking out six.