Baseball Walks Off With 2-1 Comeback Win Over Butler
April 4, 2008
Chicago, Ill.- The UIC baseball team rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the ninth by scoring the tying and winning runs on a dropped fly ball in right field to walk off with a 2-1 win over Butler in a pitchers' duel at Les Miller Field on Friday afternoon. The Flames improved to 16-9 overall and 6-1 in Horizon League play, while the Bulldogs fell to 6-15 and 3-4 in league games. UIC's Derrick Miramontes went the distance for the second consecutive start, striking out six hitters and scattering seven hits. He had kept Butler off the scoreboard for the game's first eight innings, extending his scoreless streak to 15 consecutive frames. But the streak was snapped by the first batter of the ninth. Joe Pauley hit Miramontes' 1-2 offering deep, and the ball barely stayed fair while clearing the left field wall to snap the scoreless tie. Matt Sokolowski was also impressive on the mound for the visitors. The Bulldog left-hander did not allow a run through eight innings. The Flames would not let their starting hurler take the fall after his incredible pitching performance, though. Andy Leonard reached on a throwing error by second baseman Jason Jamerson to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Tony Altavilla was hit in the head by a Sokolowski pitch, putting a pair of runners on board with no outs and signaling the end of the day for the Butler starter. Leonard and Altavilla each moved up 90 feet on a double steal as Rafael Garcia swung and missed. That brought up Jason Ganek, who lofted a deep fly ball to right that Kyle McLaughlin stood under but failed to seal in his glove, allowing Leonard and Altavilla to sprint home safely.
The Flames have now won 10 straight home games. UIC and Butler resume their series on Saturday with a doubleheader at Les Miller Field beginning at 1 p.m. |
