Baseball secures first place

Tyler Detmer led the Flames with three RBIs in the second game of a
doubleheader versus Wright State Saturday.— Photo: Steve Woltmann

The baseball team (13-11-1, 9-3 Horizon League) split its home doubleheader with Wright State (20-9, 8-3 Horizon League) Saturday afternoon at Curtis Granderson Stadium.

The Flames remain in first place in the Horizon League standings and the Raiders sit in second.

UIC begins a three-game series at Milwaukee Friday, with other games set for Saturday and Sunday.

UIC had 12 hits, including three doubles and a triple, en route to a 7-4 comeback victory in game one. UIC starter Ian Lewandowski (3-2) earned his third win while Trevor Lane and Ryan Hinchley provided three innings of scoreless relief.

Lewandowski lasted six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out one batter.

Carl Sugihara and Jeff Boehm led the Flames with two RBIs. Sugihara, Cody Bohanek, Mickey McDonald and Alex Lee all had two hits for UIC.

Wright State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on two hits. The Raiders added three more runs on three hits in the fourth to take a 4-0 advantage.

The Flames tallied five hits and tied the score at 4-4 in the bottom half of the inning. Bohanek singled on a bunt and advanced to third on Tyler Detmer’s fifth double of the season. Boehm drove in both runners with his first triple and McDonald brought him home with a single up the middle. Lee drove in McDonald with a two-out double down the right field line, his sixth double of the season.

Gabe Dwyer’s leadoff single in the fifth inning turned into the winning run. Sugihara’s seventh double of the season advanced Dwyer to third and Bohanek walked to load the bases. Dwyer scored on Detmer’s fielder’s choice to give UIC a 5-4 lead.

UIC’s two-run sixth inning featured four more hits. Conor Philbin and Lee singled before two strike-outs brought Sugihara to the plate. Sugihara brought both runners home with a single to right field.

Lane relieved Lewandowski in the seventh inning and tossed two scoreless innings. Hinchley took over for Lane and earned his third save of the season.

Jack Andersen (3-3) got the starting nod for the Flames in the second game and allowed seven runs on 11 hits over four innings. He struck out three and walked one batter.

Noah Masa relieved Andersen and tossed two scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and walked a batter in his sixth appearance of the season.

Lane was nearly spotless in relief of Masa as he only allowed one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out three Raiders and threw 26 strikes in 34 overall pitches.

Detmer led the Flames with three RBIs while Bohanek, Philbin and Lee also drove in runs. Philbin had three hits while Bohanek and Lee tallied two hits apiece. UIC totaled 14 hits in game two and 26 hits during the doubleheader.

The first two innings featured 11 hits and seven runs between the two squads. The Raiders had five hits and three runs in the first inning before the Flames responded with six hits and four runs in the bottom half. A highlight of UIC’s half was Detmer’s three-run home run, his second of the season.

UIC took a 5-3 advantage in the third with a two-out rally. McDonald singled and stole second before Philbin drove him home with a single up the middle.

The Raiders tied the contest with two runs and two hits in the top of the fourth before the Flames regained the lead in the bottom half. Dwyer led off with a ground-rule double and was brought home by Bohanek’s single through the left side.

WSU took a 7-6 lead with two more runs and three hits in the fifth inning. UIC put two runners on base in the fifth, three in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth but could not push across another run.