May 4, 2007

Flames Rally in Ninth to Overcome Engle's Strong Start

    Niles, Ohio -- UIC overcame a two-run deficit by scoring six runs in the top of the ninth to nullify seven solid innings from Lucas Engle and claim a 7-3 victory over Youngstown State on Friday evening at Eastwood Field.
    Engle allowed one run on nine hits and struck out five batters before leaving with a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning. After Ryan Wackerman  and Ryan Sellman combined to throw a scoreless eighth, the Flames erupted for six runs with one out in the ninth to rally.
    Friday was the third time this season the Flames defeated the Penguins in the ninth inning. On March 30 in Chicago, UIC won on a walk-off hit and ensuing error in the bottom of the ninth in a 5-4 victory. A day later, the Flames won on a suicide squeeze with one out in the ninth in a 1-0 victory.
    UIC (24-16) upped its lead in the Horizon League standings and improved to 15-4 in league games while YSU (14-27) dropped to 6-14.
    The Penguins were two outs away from winning their second straight and the seventh out of nine against the Flames at Eastwood Field before nine straight Flames reached base. After closer Andy Svitak struck out Jake Carr to start the ninth, Ben Trotter and Ty Rubio walked and Chad Schroeder reached on an infield single to load the bases. Nick Rainwater then hit a two-run single to right as Rubio slid around Rayce Robinson's tag at home. Following another walk, Larry Gempp Jr and Ryan Schweikert hit back-to-back two-run doubles to put the Flames up four.
    Closer David Cales came on in a non-save situation in the ninth to retire the Penguins in order.
    The Flames took the lead in the first when Micky Pingree was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Gempp's single.
    YSU answered right back in the bottom half of the inning when John Koehnlein hit a leadoff single, advanced on a hit batsman and a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Brent Parks' groundout.
    The Penguins then took the lead in the fourth by scoring two runs after there were two outs. Following two hard lineouts, UIC starter Steve Crnkovich beaned Robinson and allowed an RBI double to left center to Anthony Munoz. Koehnlein then singled to left to plate Munoz to up the advantage to 3-1.
    Engle allowed a hit in every inning he worked, but the Flames only got two runners to second base after the first inning.
    Koehnlein saved a run in the fourth when his throw home from right beat Carr on a two-out Trotter double. He also got Pingree to line into an inning-ending double play in the fifth and escaped a leadoff double in the sixth.
    Engle also had a strong outing against the Flames in March, allowing one earned run in eight innings. In two combined starts, he has allowed two earned runs on 18 hits and has not walked a batter in 15 innings.
    Koehnlein's single in the first extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games.
    The Penguins and Flames will play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.