March 22, 2008

Box Score

Chicago, Ill.- Tony Altavilla's go-ahead two-run single highlighted a five-run seventh inning for the UIC baseball team, as the Flames rallied from six runs down and held on for a 9-8 victory over Milwaukee at frigid Les Miller Field on Saturday night.

In the Horizon League opener for both teams that was pushed back from Friday after snow hit the Chicagoland area, the Flames (8-7, 1-0) won their fourth consecutive game by scoring eight times in the sixth and seventh frames.

Grant Kohlstaedt recovered from a rough beginning to keep Milwaukee (3-12, 0-1) off the board for four straight innings and earn his third win of the year. Don Phillis came on for the final two innings to get the save.

After Milwaukee capitalized on a leadoff double in the second to score the game's first run, the Panthers padded their advantage by scoring five times with two out in the top of the third. Shawn Wozniak's three-run homer was the crushing blow during Milwaukee's big inning.

As temperatures hit the low 30s on the field, the Flames' bats began the game cold before warming up in the fourth. Jake Carr led off with a deep drive to right that he legged out for a triple, and an errant throw to third by shortstop Andy Gerhartz allowed Carr to come home for UIC's first run of the night.

Two innings later the Flames cut the Panther lead down to two with three more runs. Brett Schaefer doubled to lead off the sixth, with Kevin Coddington's single and a walk to Altavilla eventually loading the bases. A wild pitch allowed the runners to move up 90 feet and put a run on the scoreboard for UIC, and Jason Ganek and Andy Leonard followed by driving in a run apiece to make the score 6-4.

UIC's offense came through in the seventh. The first three hitters of the inning reached base, a stretch capped by Schaefer's RBI single that trimmed the deficit to a single run. After Coddington moved a pair into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, Altavilla smacked a ball up the middle that drove in the tying and go-ahead scores.

An RBI hit off the bat of Ganek and Rafael Garcia's single and subsequent throwing error by Gerhartz gave the Flames' two more much-needed insurance runs.

Phillis came on in the eighth and retired the first two batters before the Panthers made things interesting. The sophomore southpaw gave up a walk, a single and a two-run double that cut UIC's lead down to one.

But the Flames held on, as Phillis retired the side in the ninth to clinch the comeback win.

UIC and Milwaukee resume their series at Les Miller Field on Easter Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.