CHICAGO – Neither high winds nor a rare dust storm could silence the UIC offense on Friday, as the Flames (19-31, 15-11 MVC) continued their red-hot production with a 21-10 run-rule victory in seven innings over Belmont (24-31, 13-13) in the middle game of their Missouri Valley Conference series at Curtis Granderson Stadium. UIC not only posted a season-high run total (its highest since a 21-7 win at Valparaiso on April 23, 2023), fueled by six in the first and nine in the sixth, but also moved back into sole possession of fourth place in the MVC entering the final day of the regular season. The top four teams in the final conference standings will earn a bye into the double-elimination portion of next week's MVC Tournament.
Terrick Thompson-Allen led the Flames' offensive outburst with a career day, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, a triple, five RBI and 12 total bases.
Thomas Curry also had career highs with four hits (including a home run) and four runs scored, while
Vidal Colon added a home run of his own. As a team, UIC has scored 34 runs on 36 hits in the first 12.1 innings of the series, plating runs in all but two innings thus far.
Michael Vitellaro pitched 1.2 innings of efficient relief to earn his first win in a Flames' uniform, allowing just a solo home run in the seventh, while also inducing a key inning-ending double play to thwart a pending Belmont rally in the sixth.
UIC led from the jump with its six-spot in the first, highlighted by
James Harris' drive to the right-center field gap that was misplayed by the Bruins' right fielder and cleared the bases. Thompson-Allen followed with a ringing triple to center to score Harris and help put the Flames on the front foot.
After Belmont scored once in the top of the second, Curry responded with a solo homer in the south half of the frame, followed by
Colin Husko's RBI single to drive in
Jackson Bessette. The Bruins got within 8-5 in the third, but Thompson-Allen returned the momentum to the Flames' dugout with an opposite-field solo home run in the bottom of the stanza. One inning later, Thompson-Allen again rounded the bases, courtesy of a three-run blast to dead center and UIC regained its seven-run advantage.
The Bruins again tried to battle back, getting as close as 12-9 in the sixth before Vitellaro rolled up a taylor-made 6-4-3 double play ball to end the inning. UIC followed by putting the game on run-rule alert with its nine-run uprising in the sixth, ignited by Colon's three-run home run to right center and four unearned tallies later in the frame. Vitellaro then dodged a Belmont solo homer in the seventh by quietly retiring the final three batters to secure the win.
Â
The full box score and play-by-play recap for game two can be found
here.
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
UP NEXT
The Flames and Bruins will close out the regular season at 1 p.m. (CT) Saturday in the finale of their three-game MVC series at Curtis Granderson Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN+, with live stats also available. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to the ballpark on Saturday, as UIC will celebrate its seniors prior to the game in a Senior Day ceremony that begins at approximately 12:35 p.m. (CT).
Â
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
For more information on UIC Athletics and UIC baseball, visitÂ
UICFlames.com. Fans can also follow the Flames on social media through X (
@UIC_Baseball and
 @UICFlames) and Instagram (
@uic_baseball and
 @uicflames).
