FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The UIC baseball team's ninth-inning rally came up short as the third-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks hit a walk-off two-run home run to top the Flames by a 10-8 final at Baum-Walker Stadium.
 
UIC entered the eighth inning with a 6-4 lead, but a Razorback grand slam put the home team up by an 8-6 margin heading to the ninth inning.

Following a leadoff single by Bryan Rosario, Cole Conn punched a one-out single to center. Rosario was going first to third on the play and was awarded home after the throw in sailed out of play. Conn, who advanced to second on the play, came around to score the very next pitch as Breck Nowik delivered a game-tying single to right. The Flames had runners at second and third with two down, but a flyout ended UIC's bid to regain the lead.
 
Arkansas countered in the home half of the inning with a leadoff double before the walk-off two-run home run by Chris Lanzilli.
 
The Razorbacks struck first in the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third before the Flames quickly struck back with a big six-run fourth inning.
 
Ryan Nagelbach and Cole Conn drew back-to-back walks to open the inning before moving to third and second respectively, on a sac bunt by Nowik. The pair advanced 90 feet, with Nagelbach scoring, on a wild pitch.
 
Luke Picchiotti walked to put runners on the corners and one away. Cory Moore laid down a squeeze bunt, allowing Conn to beat the throw home to even the score at 2-all. Sean Dee was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Rayth Petersen drew a walk to make it 3-2.
 
Rosario delivered the big swing, as he roped a bases-clearing double down the left field line to give the Flames a 6-2 lead.
 
The Flames maintained its lead by a gutsy pitching performance by Chris Torres, who scattered eight hits across 6.1 innings of work. Arkansas tacked on a pair of runs in the seventh inning to pull within a pair at 6-4 before the flurry of scoring down the stretch.
 
UIC returns home to make its home debut next weekend, welcoming Northern Kentucky to town for the first series of Horizon League play. First pitch on Friday is slated for 4:05 p.m.