May 31, 2008
UIC overcame a three-run deficit by scoring five times in the fifth en route to a 9-5 win over Dallas Baptist at the 2008 NCAA College Station Regional.
UIC (35-21) advances to meet the loser of Saturday night's Texas A&M/Houston contest in an elimination game at Olsen Field on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Central. Dallas Baptist (37-19) had its season ended with the loss.
Ty Rubio hit a go-ahead two-run single as the Flames batted around in the fateful fifth and scored all five of its runs during the inning with two outs.
Peter Ifft earned the win in relief, allowing just one run in the game's final five innings.
UIC capitalized on Dallas Baptist's control issues on the mound. Five of the eight Flames batters who were hit by pitches during the game eventually came around to score, including all four of the fifth inning's drilled hitters.
The two teams set a new NCAA tournament record with 11 combined hit batsmen in the game.
Dallas Baptist broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the top of the fifth, aided by three consecutive hits to begin the inning and a pair of sac flies.
Andy Leonard started the Flames' fifth-inning rally with an RBI single, and Steve McGuiggan was hit by Jared Stafford with the bases loaded to drive in a run and bring UIC within a single tally.
That brought up Rubio, who looped a ball to right for a base hit that drove in the tying and go-ahead runs.
Jake Carr then executed a perfect squeeze bunt that brought McGuiggan in from third.
Ifft escaped trouble caused by leadoff singles in the seventh and eighth innings by inducing ground balls to shortstop Rafael Garcia that were converted into double plays during both frames.
UIC put the game away in the eighth when Brett Schaefer hit a run-scoring single that recorded his 60th RBI of the season, and Ryan Schweikert lined a base hit through the right side to drive in the final tally of the day.
The victory was the second NCAA Regional win in UIC's baseball history.
Both have occurred in the last two years.
Dallas Baptist/UIC; Black set NCAA Tournament record for hit by pitches
Dallas Baptist and UIC (Illinois-Chicago) set an NCAA Tournament record with a combined 11 hit batters in the Flames?â„¢ 9-5 victory on Saturday afternoon in Game 3 of the College Station Regional at Olsen Field.
The Patriots first two pitchers of the game ?- starter Victor Black (NCAA Tournament-record 7) and reliever Jared Stafford (1) ?- combined to hit eight batters in the loss. Meanwhile, a pair of UIC hurlers plunked three hitters ?- starter Don Phillis (2) and reliever Peter Ifft (1). Black set the Division I postseason mark and tied North Carolina southpaw Andrew Miller?â„¢s national record (vs. Virginia on April 1, 2005). Dallas Baptist?â„¢s Brett Lester was the only pitcher not to hit a batter in the contest.
Rice and Washington combined for 10 hit batters in an NCAA Central Region game on May 22, 1998. Ironically, that contest occurred at Olsen Field just more than 10 years ago. Owls pitchers combined to hit 10 Huskies in that contest. UW won the game by a score of 20-11.
The total ranks as the second-most in NCAA history. Nevada and New Mexico State plunked a combined dozen batters on March 9, 1997.
The College Station regional continues at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday when top seed Texas A&M (44-16) squares off against No. 3 seed Houston (40-22) in a winner?â„¢s bracket tilt.