The UIC Flames scored seven runs in the first inning and did not look back in a 13-5 win over the Northern Illinois University baseball team Wednesday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park.

UIC (5-18) scored three of its seven runs in the first on bases loaded walks. Luke Nowak made the score 6-0 with a two-run single to centerfield, followed by a Lucas Smith RBI single to cap the inning. Gavin Baldwin (Nashville, Ill./SEMO) put the Huskies on the board in the bottom of the first with a two-out solo home run, his eighth of the season. Vidal Colon put UIC up 8-1 in the top of the second, driving in AJ Taylor on an infield single.

The NIU (8-14) bullpen held UIC scoreless from the third inning to the sixth. Alex Day (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. John Lyman (Minneapolis, Minn./NIACC) and freshman Alex Graber (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) both had a pair of strikeouts in scoreless innings. 

“We like where Alex is at and knew what we could get from him today,” said head coach Ryan Copeland. “He gave us a chance and allowed the game to settle down. John showed us what he’s capable of after a tough start to the year. Today was the first time he was able to make some pitches, finish some hitters off and land his breaking ball for strikes.”

The Flames scored an unearned run in the seventh to go up 9-1, then scored twice more in the eighth to go up 11-1. NIU got back on the board in the bottom of the eighth as pinch-runner Jalen House (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) scored on a double play to make the score 11-2. In the bottom of the ninth, CJ Cepicky (St. Louis, Mo./Missouri) hit a three-run home run, his third of the season, to make the final score 13-5.

“We knew today was going to be a struggle after using a ton of arms in a high-scoring game yesterday,” said head coach Ryan Copeland. “We had some guys throw the ball well to keep it a game for a long time, but at the end of the day we didn’t do enough on the mound or at the plate. We have to get to a point in our program where a double midweek is an opportunity to win two games, and that starts with developing the bottom end of our roster to make sure we can put them in a position where we’re confident they can do the job.”

Will Couchman (Edina, Minn./NIACC) was 2-for-4 with a double in the game, extending his hitting streak to nine games.

The Huskies go on the road this weekend for a four-game series at Butler, starting Friday, March 28 at 2 p.m. CT.