Chicago, IL – Not exactly a pitching clinic at Les Miller Field on a very pleasant Saturday as the University of Illinois Chicago Flames hosted the Butler Bulldogs for a Horizon League doubleheader. A combined 48 runs and 65 hits paired up with 6 errors made for an interesting 6:00 of baseball with UIC taking both games and sweeping the weekend series. The ball was flying out of the park in the early game with a total of 11 home runs smacked as the Flames won 21-11. In the second game doubles were more popular with a total of 13 hit in the UIC 12-4 win.
In the early game Butler junior Grant Fillipitch seemed quite at home just outside the southwest loop despite actually being from the southwest Chicago suburbs as he was 5 for 6 in the game with 3 RBI’s and 3 runs scored including a double and a home run. For UIC the offensive stars were juniors John Rosinski and Matt Serna who both managed 4 hits in an identical 6 at bats. However, Serna hit the ball further though than his team-mate as two of his hits left the yard including one grand slam and by the time the game was over he had managed to pad his stats with 6 RBI’s.
Saturday’s later game began with a flurry of doubles in the bottom of the first as Butler junior Jared Wagoner got the start but didn’t make it out of the inning. After a bunt single to the first UIC batter, a walk and then 6 doubles were mixed in among a pop up and a ground out before a change was made to freshman Billy Laing. But the Flames had built up enough of a lead at that point and the Bulldogs were unable to capture some of the magic that helped take their basketball team all the way to the National Championship game during March Madness. UIC sophomore catcher Nathan Orf was the offensive leader in the final game with 3 hits including 2 doubles in 5 at bats.
