FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The UIC baseball team opened up a 6-0 lead and never looked back Friday, cruising to a 7-3 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne in the first game of a three-game Horizon League series.
 
Nate Peterson kept the Mastodons in check for most of the game, allowing just two runs (one earned) in seven innings, scattering four hits and a pair of walks while striking out seven.
 
UIC struck for a pair of runs in the first after Breck Nowik to left center to drive home Rayth Petersen. Cole Conn followed with a run-scoring single as the Flames gave Peterson a 2-0 lead before stepping on the mound.
 
The lead grew to 6-0 after a four-run third inning by the Flames. Bryan Rosario scored from third on a passed ball to make it 3-0 in favor of UIC before Cole Conn delivered for the second time in three innings with a 3-run shot to left.
 
Peterson dominated on the mound, retiring Purdue Fort Wayne in order in the second, third and fourth innings before the Mastodons scratched across a run in the fifth. The 'Dons would add single runs in the sixth and eighth inning to pull within three at 6-3.
 
The Flames picked up an insurance run in the ninth after Ryan Lin-Peistrup doubled to left to drive home Clay Conn from second. Tanner Shears came on in the ninth and worked around a pair of base-runners to close out the four-run victory.
 
UIC and Purdue Fort Wayne will resume the series Saturday afternoon, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. (CT).
 
News and Notes

• Peterson lowered his season ERA down to 3.04 for the effort. Peterson's ERA has declined in each of the last three starts.
• Conn hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season and leads the team in RBI with 31 on the year.
• Petersen extended his on-base streak to 28 games. Petersen has reached safely in all but two contests this year.