Baseball Falls In Ninth Inning at UIC

Friday, April 13

Chicago, IL

4:00 PM

Wright State University

15-12, 9-5

UIC

15-12, 7-2

Wright State

UIC

4/13/2007 12:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: WSU Athletic Media Relations

The Wright State baseball team dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker in the series opener to UIC at Les Miller Field in Chicago. The Raiders entered the ninth inning with a 4-2 lead, but five walks in the ninth inning allowed UIC to push the winning run across the plate in the battle of Horizon League leaders.

The Raiders got on the board in the third inning when John Koplichack reached base with a one-out, bunt single. Kopilchack ended up on second base via an errant throw by the Flames catcher. Ross Oeder then smashed the next pitch over the right field fence for his fourth home run of the season.

Wright State starter Erich Schanz had a perfect game with one out in the fifth inning, when UIC's Jake Carr spoiled it with a solo home run. The Carr blast snuck over the left field fence to cut the WSU lead to 2-1.

In the seventh inning, the Green and Gold added a pair of runs to extend their lead to 4-2. Aaron Field reached on a fielding error by the right fielder, moved to second on a Kopilchack sacrifice bunt, and scored on an Oeder double down the left field line. With two outs in the inning, Jeremy Hamilton drove in his 27th RBI of the season with a single to right field.

The Flames (15-12, 7-2) added another solo home run in their half of the seventh inning, this time off the bat of Larry Gempp Jr., to make the score 4-2.

Schanz was relieved by Scott Ruthven to start the eighth inning. Schanz didn't walk a batter and allowed only three hits in seven innings of work. He struck out two batters and allowed only two runs.

The Flames mounted a rally in the ninth inning when Ruthven walked the first two batters he faced, before handing the ball to Jason Bennion. The next batter doubled down the left field line to push the tying run across the plate. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third, Bennion intentionally walked the bases loaded. The winning run then crossed the plate on a four pitch walk, giving UIC a 5-4 victory.

Bennion falls to 1-1 overall this season, allowing only one run, as Ruthven allowed two runs in one inning of relief work. Jason Worthington picked up the win for UIC with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

The Green and Gold outhit the Flames nine to four and seven different players colleted hits in the game. Oeder collected two hits, scored twice and drove in three RBI's in the game. Biedenharn collected a pair of hits for his 12th multi-hit game of the season.

The Raiders are now 15-12 overall and fall to 9-5 in Horizon League play heading into tomorrow's doubleheader with the Flames. The Raiders and Flames will square off at 2:00 Dayton time.