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UIC Athletics

thevalley
Cole Conn
5
Belmont BEL 25-32
10
Winner UIC UIC 28-23
Belmont BEL
25-32
5
Final
10
UIC UIC
28-23
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Belmont BEL 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 8 2
UIC UIC 1 0 3 0 0 0 4 2 X 10 13 0

W: Gould, Zak (6-3) L: BEAN, Andy (3-6)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Long Ball Blasts Baseball Past Belmont

No. 6 Flames Hit Three Home Runs in 10-5 Victory Over No. 7 Bruins in MVC Opening Round

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – In a slugfest with a combined six home runs, the UIC baseball team racked up 13 hits including three long balls of its own en route to a 10-5 victory over Belmont in the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championship Opening Round.

COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH SEAN MCDERMOTT

"I'm just proud of our guys. We faced a really good pitcher today and a quality opponent and we knew it was going to be a high scoring affair. Zak Gould did a good job of stabilizing us, we played exceptional defense, had good offensive approach up and down the lineup and were able to hit some longballs. We were very relaxed and were ourselves."
 

RECAP
  • After Belmont took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, UIC responded in the bottom half of the inning as Cole Conn homered the second pitch of his at bat over the left field wall to tie the game at 1-1.
  • Down 3-1 in the third, the Flames retook the lead after Breck Nowik belted a three-run home run to left-center.
  • The Flames' defense had a dominant middle-third of the game. Pitcher Zak Gould retired eight-straight Bruins batters as part of three scoreless innings from the fourth through the sixth. On Gould's final pitch of the afternoon, catcher Cole Conn threw out Belmont's Sam Slaughter while trying to steal second to end the top of the sixth inning.
  • Conn's arm came up clutch again in the seventh. With runners on first and second with two outs, the catcher picked off the Bruins' runner at first on a pitchout to end the inning.
  • In the bottom half of the inning the Flames got back on the board after Ryan Nagelbach singled through the right side, scoring Rayth Petersen from third. AJ Henkle scored two batters later on a Carson Roberts sacrifice fly to left to extend the UIC lead to 6-3.
  • Two batters later, with a full count and two outs, Max Farfan crushed a two-run homer to left to increase the UIC lead to 8-3.
  • Up 8-5 in the eighth, Nagelbach blooped a single to left with the bases loaded scoring two and extending the Flames lead to 10-5.
  • UIC was able to close out the win in the ninth, with Carson Roberts catching the final out in left field.
NEWS AND NOTES
  • Nagelbach and Nowik tied for a team-high three RBI in Tuesday's victory.
  • Petersen and Henkle led UIC with three hits apiece.
  • This is the seventh time in UIC's last eight postseason appearances the Flames have won their opening conference tournament game.
  • Conn's leadoff home run was his second leadoff homer of the year. He opened UIC's game against Western Illinois (Mar. 28) with a home run as well.
  • Gould finished the afternoon throwing 85 pitches, allowing four hits and striking out two.
  • Gould's 6.0 innings pitched was his most this season.
  • Ryan Karst added two innings in relief for the Flames. He threw one strikeout on the afternoon.
  • Pitcher Matt Zahora came in for the ninth, retiring all three batters faced.
  • UIC's had 18 multi-home run games this season. The three home runs hit is tied for the second-most for the Flames this season.
  • This is the second time UIC's had 13 or more hits in a game against Belmont this season. The Flames totaled 14 hits against the Bruins on May 5.
UP NEXT
With the victory, the Flames will wait for the result of tonight's Valparaiso and Murray State game, and will face either Indiana State or Missouri State. Fans can watch the action on ESPN+.
 
 
 
 
 
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