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UIC Athletics

thevalley
Cole Conn
14
Winner Milwaukee MKE 22-32
11
UIC UIC 30-18
Winner
Milwaukee MKE
22-32
14
Final
11
UIC UIC
30-18
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
Milwaukee MKE 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 14 15 3
UIC UIC 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 11 15 3

W: BLUBAUGH, AJ (2-1) L: Davis, Nate (2-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Jenn Zoellick

Flames Fall Short in Extra-Inning Battle with Milwaukee

UIC ends season with 14-11 loss to Panthers

DAYTON, Ohio – The UIC baseball team (30-18) fought a long, hard battle against No. 4 Milwaukee (22-32) on Friday night in the elimination game of the Horizon League Baseball Championship Semifinals, eventually falling 14-11 in the marathon 11-inning contest. The Flames fought back from an early six-run hole and erased a three-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth to force the Panthers into extra innings, but were unable to summon another comeback after Milwaukee plated three runs in the top of the 11th.

The Panthers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first after a bases-loaded walk, two singles and a double. The Flames fired right back with five runs of their own in the bottom of the first, highlighted by two-run homers from Horizon League Freshman of the Year Cole Conn and Cory Moore, both of which came with two outs. Joshua Figueroa, who batted .583 with 10 RBI and 14 total bases in three tournament games, also picked up an RBI single earlier in the inning, bringing in Thomas Smart, who had started off the inning with a bunt.
 
Milwaukee brought in two runs in the top of the second off a sacrifice fly and a double, 8-5. Following a brief weather delay in the middle of the second, the Flames came out swinging, batting back-to-back singles before a bases-clearing triple for Figueroa that put UIC back within one, 8-7. Conn followed with a groundout to score Figueroa and tie the game at eight runs apiece.
 
After an eventful first two innings, both pitchers settled in and kept things tied through the next six innings. UIC reliever Joey Morris struck out nine in that span, tripling his own previous career high.

A double and an error put the Panthers' leadoff runner in the top of the ninth on third, and a single followed to break the tie, 9-8. Milwaukee added two more runs in the top of the ninth off an RBI single, giving them an 11-8 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Flames proved themselves resilient in the bottom of the ninth, answering Milwaukee's three runs with three runs of their own to bring the game once again to a draw. Figueroa was again the igniter, driving in a pair with a double to right center to put UIC within one. Thomas Norton brought in the pinch-running Brett Tressen with a game-tying triple, 11-11.
 
The Panthers got the final word in the top of the 11th, bringing in three runs off a hit-by-pitch, two singles and a double, 14-11. Norton and Ryan Nagelbach drew walks in the bottom of the 11th, but they were left stranded on second and third by the Milwaukee defense.  

Both teams finished with an even 15 hits. Figueroa and Bryan Rosario led for the Flames with three hits apiece, while Smart, Norton and Moore each finished with two. Ryan O'Reilly started on the bump for UIC and pitched 0.2 innings, allowing six earned runs off three hits. Morris pitched 7.1 innings of relief and allowed three earned runs off six hits.

Fred Gosbeth dealt 2.0 innings and gave up two earned runs off three hits, while Nate Davis finished things out on the mound, allowing three earned runs off three hits in the 11th.
 
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