TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The No. 6 seed UIC baseball team continued competition in the 2023 Missouri Valley Baseball Championship Wednesday, as it took on the tournament hosts in no. 1 seeded Indiana State. The Flames looked to continue their momentum from Tuesday, as they took down the no. 7 seed Belmont 10-5.
- The Sycamores took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Randal Diaz led off the game with a triple to right center field, and was brought home on an RBI single from Luis Hernandez to put Indiana State up 1-0.
- The Flames would answer back quickly in the top of the second inning, taking advantage of an Indiana State error to push two runs across the plate and take a 2-1 lead. Indiana State returned serve in the bottom half of the second, plating a run to tie the game 2-2.
- Cole Conn launched his sixth home run of the season to right field to lead off the third inning, his second home run in as many days, giving UIC the lead back at 3-2.
- After the Sycamores answered with a run in the bottom of the third, Conn launched his second home run of the game to right field, giving the Flames back the lead at 4-3.
- Indiana State pulled ahead in the home half of the fifth, thanks in part to a controversial bases-clearing double down the left-field line. The Sycamores plated four runs in the inning to re-establish a 7-4 lead.
- Following another run in the bottom of the seventh for Indiana State, the Flames answered in the top of the eighth, as AJ Henkle drove in a run with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 8-5.
- Despite four solid innings from Matt Zahora out of the bullpen, the Flames were unable to erase the three-run deficit, falling by an 8-5 final score.
With the loss, the Flames now face an elimination game at Bob Warn Field on Thursday, as they will await the loser of tonight's game between fifth seed Murray State and second seed Missouri State. First pitch is set for 11:30 a.m. CT on Thursday, and the game can be seen live on ESPN+.
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