UIC caps sweep against YSU

Staff report

CHICAGO

UIC scored 11 runs over the first three innings, and beat the Youngstown State baseball team 13-4 in the finale of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Curtis Granderson Stadium.

The Flames scored the first nine runs of the game, seven of which came in second inning, to take control on their way to completing the series sweep. UIC improved to 24-20 overall and 16-10 in Horizon League play with the win while YSU fell to 12-37 and 6-18 with the loss.

After UIC’s early offensive spurt, the Youngstown State bullpen settled in to allow only two runs on five hits over UIC’s final five at bats. Offensively, Phillip Glasser drove in a pair of runs while Lucas Nasonti and Dylan Swarmer each had an RBI. Steven D’Eusanio had a team-high two hits, and Cody Dennis singled and scored twice.

The Flames took an early 2-0 edge in the bottom of the first inning when Scott Ota drew a two-out walk, and Ryan Hampe followed with a two-run home run to left field. UIC opened the game up by pushing its lead to 9-0 with seven runs on five hits in the bottom of the second. Chris Papapietro, Hampe, Alex Dee and Ryan Lin-Peistrup each had run-scoring hits during the rally.

Papapietro led the Flames with three hits, and Hampe and Lin-Peistrup each had a team-high three RBIs.

The Penguins got on the board in the top of the third inning when Dennis reached second base on an error by UIC center fielder Derrick Patrick, and scored on an RBI single by Nasonti.

UIC extended its lead to 12-1 with two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth. Patrick drew a leadoff walk to begin the home half of the fourth, and Papapietro followed with a base hit to set up a two-run single by Ota. In the sixth, Joshua Figuerora reached with a one-out single, and came around to score when Lin-Peistrup grounded into a fielder’s choice.

YSU starter Marco DeFalco was tagged with the loss after permitting seven runs on three hits and five walks over 1.1 innings.