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Rutta's Walk-Off Hit Sends Baseball To 9-8 Extra-Inning Win Over Northwestern
March 13, 2008
Chicago, Ill.- Chris Rutta's double in the bottom of the 10th inning drove in the game-winning run as the UIC baseball team walked off with a 9-8 victory over Northwestern in the Flames' home opener at Les Miller Field on Thursday afternoon. With the Flames (4-6) trailing 8-7 and one away in the bottom of the ninth, Jason Ganek launched a game-tying blast to right center that sent the contest into extra innings. After reliever Don Phillis recovered from a leadoff double in the top of the 10th to retire the next three Northwestern (3-4) hitters, Brett Schaefer and Tony Altavilla hit back-to-back singles with one out in the bottom half of the inning to put a runner in scoring position. That set up Rutta, who roped a hit into left center that allowed pinch runner Devin Melecio to easily score the winning run from second. UIC hitters blasted five home runs and pounded out 17 hits. Ganek, Ryan Schweikert and Andy Leonard each hit their first career round-trippers, while Schaefer and Jake Carr belted their first homers of the season. Ganek finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI. Grant Kohlstaedt threw six innings in a no-decision before Phillis came on for four innings of work to earn his first victory since May 17, 2006.
The Flames did most of their damage in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 6-3 lead. Leonard and Carr jacked consecutive homers to key the rally and chase Wildcat starter Jonathan Purcell. Thursday's home-opening win was the ninth consecutive year that UIC has won its first home game of the season. SCHEDULE NOTE: Due to the threat of inclement weather this Saturday, UIC and Northwestern have agreed to move Saturday's scheduled game to Friday, March 14 for a doubleheader. Friday's first game begins at 3:05 p.m., followed by a second game approximately 30 minutes after the first game's final out. |
