CHICAGO (Feb. 27, 2024) – The UIC baseball team played its first home game of the 2024 season Tuesday, as the Flames hosted North Park at Curtis Granderson Stadium. After falling behind in the opening inning, UIC battled back, and earned an 8-5 victory on a beautiful night in downtown Chicago.

Pambos Nicoloudes on hitting his first collegiate home run tonight!#FireUpFlames pic.twitter.com/EGk7fOT52U

— UIC Baseball ???? (@UIC_Baseball) February 28, 2024

 
SCORING SUMMARY

• After the Vikings pushed a run across the plate in the opening half inning, the Flames wasted no time crafting a reply, putting across four runs in the home half of the first, highlighted by a Rayth Petersen (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) two-run home run to left field, his first of the season.
• North Park answered back in the top of the second inning, reducing the Flames' advantage to 4-2 after two complete innings.
• The Flames increased their advantage in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Zane Zielinski (Chicago, Ill./Lake View) reached on an error, scoring Pambos Nicoloudes (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) to give UIC a 5-2 lead.
• The Vikings would go on to tally three runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game. UIC once again did not wait long to respond, as a Nicoloudes two-run home run and a Zielinski sacrifice fly in the home half of the sixth inning gave the Flames a 8-5 edge.
• This would be all the Flames would need offensively, as Zack Millsap (Crete, Ill./Crete Monee) earned his first win of the season out of the bullpen.

 
UP NEXT
The Flames will return to the road this weekend, as they travel to the Buckeye State for a three-game series against Ohio. All three games of the weekend series will be streamed live via YouTube, and first pitch in Friday's series-opener is set for 3:00 p.m. CT from Bob Wren Stadium in Athens.