CHICAGO – The UIC earned its second doubleheader split in as many days Sunday, May 8, as UIC and Purdue Fort Wayne split a pair of games at Granderson Stadium. The 'Dons took Game 1 by a 3-2 margin before the bats woke up in Game 2 en route to an 11-6 victory.
 
Breck Nowik was nearly perfect at the plate Sunday, finishing 7-for-8 at the plate with a pair of RBI. Ryan Nagelbach had a team-high 3 RBI on the day while nine different players recorded at least one hit. The Flames' bullpen pitched 8.2 of the 15 innings played Sunday, allowing just two runs (one earned) in the collective performance.
 
Game 1 Recap
In the first game of the twin-bill all five runs scored came in the first two innings of action. The Mastodons strung together three hits in the opening inning to jump out to an early 3-0 lead.
 
UIC countered with its two runs in the home half of the second to make it a one-run game. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Joshua Figueroa delivered a two-run single through the left side, plating Cole Conn and Nowik. An infield fly and a double play would end UIC's scoring threat.
 
It turned into a pitcher's duel over the final five innings of the seven-inning contest, as neither team scored another run. The Flames' bats were held in check, recording just one hit over the final five frames. Nowik singled with two outs in the third to move Bryan Rosario, who had walked earlier in the inning, to second. A line drive off the bat of Conn was caught by the second baseman to strand a runner in scoring position.
 
Joey Morris worked 4.2 innings of incredible relief, allowing just two hits and walk while striking out three batters.
 
Game 2 Recap
The 'Dons jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap but the Flames were quick to answer. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, Rayth Petersen drove home Rosario on an RBI groundout to make it 2-1.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne's lead grew to 4-1 after another two runs in the second and would stay that way until the fifth when UIC scored three to tie things up at 4-all. Nowik had a run-scoring infield single before Nagelbach had a game-tying two-run double to right center to score Petersen and Nowik.
 
The 'Dons regained the lead with two in the sixth to make it 6-4 before the UIC offense exploded for seven runs over the final three innings of action. It all began in the bottom of the sixth as UIC scored five runs in the inning to take the lead for good at 9-6. Following a flyout to open the inning, eight consecutive batters recorded a hit, allowing five runs to cross the plate.
 
The lead would remain at 9-6 until the eighth inning when UIC tacked on a pair of insurance runs. The Flames had the bases loaded when Rosario singled the left side, allowing Bobby Grimes and Ryan Nagelbach to cross the plate and extend the lead to 11-6.
 
Tanner Shears worked a scoreless ninth in a non-save opportunity to secure the win for Matt Zahora. The UIC bullpen allowed just two runs (one earned) on four hits over the final four innings of action to close out the victory.
 
The Flames are back in action on Friday, May 13, for a doubleheader against Youngstown State. Friday will serve as Senior Day for UIC's departing senior class.