CHICAGO – Behind a dominating outing by the duo of Cristian Lopez and Tanner Shears, the UIC baseball team picked up a series win over Oakland with a 2-1 victory Sunday afternoon.
 
Lopez picked up the win after an impressive seven innings of work. The right-hander struck out a career-high 10 batters while allowing just one run on four hits. Shears picked up his second save in as many days after picking up the final six outs of the game. Shears didn't allow a hit in the two innings of work while striking out three.
 
It wasn't the start Lopez was looking for, as the second batter of the game hit a solo home run to left to put Oakland up 1-0.
 
That would be the only hit that Lopez would allow until the fifth inning when he allowed a two-out double. A popup would end the scoring opportunity. Through the first five innings, Lopez had struck out six batters.
 
UIC struck for its only runs of the game in the fifth inning, which proved to be the game-winning runs. Adam Weed was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second on a Bobby Grimes walked. With two outs, Bryan Rosario walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Rayth Petersen. Petersen delivered a single to left, allowing Weed and Grimes to score and putting UIC in front 2-1.
 
Lopez struck out two more in the sixth and the final two batters of the seventh, leaving the bases loaded, to keep the Flames in front by the one-run margin.
 
The first two Oakland batters reached base in the eighth, prompting Shears to enter. Shears struck out the first batter he faced and then with runners on second and third with one away got a second strikeout and a groundout to end the Oakland threat.
 
Shears pitched a perfect ninth inning, with a strikeout putting an end to a dominating day on the mound for the Flames. The duo of Lopez and Shears combined for 13 strikeouts on the afternoon.
 
UIC heads out on the road for its first road Horizon League series of the year next weekend, traveling to take on league-leading Wright State Thursday through Saturday.