Horizon League Baseball Championship Game Six: UIC rallies past Valparaiso 8-5

May 22, 2008

Box Score

Championship Central

NILES, Ohio - The University of Illinois at Chicago (32-19) rallied from a three-run deficit to defeat Valparaiso University (20-34) 8-5 and advance to the semifinals of the Horizon League Baseball Championship presented by the U.S. Army where it will faceoff against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. With the loss, Valpo falls to the loser's bracket and will face the winner of the Cleveland State University-Wright State University matchup.

UIC starter Mike Kool improved to 6-4 on the year after he worked 7.1 innings and struck out four. The junior right-hander scattered eight hits and was charged with just two earned runs. Sophomore lefty Don Phillis came on in the eighth inning and picked up his third save of the season.

Valparaiso freshman Steve Godawa took the loss and fell to 3-3 on the year. Godawa, who came on in the seventh inning allowed three earned runs and three hits.

UIC freshman third-baseman Jason Ganek had the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning, which gave the Flames a lead they would not relinquish. Ganek, who batted in the ninth slot for UIC, went 2-for-4 and drove in a team-high two runs.

UIC trailed after six innings, but scored five runs with two outs in the bottom half of the seventh to re-claim the lead. The Flames are 6-12 on the year when trailing after six innings. The Flames also out hit the Crusaders 11-9 and improved to 21-5 when outhitting their opponent.

UIC took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the third inning. Sophomore Ty Rubio scored the Flames lone run as he came in from third. Rubio got on board after he singled to the shortstop and then took second on a throwing error. Rubio then advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Valparaiso responded with four runs over the next three innings to take a 4-1 lead. Freshman Ryan O'Gara, sophomore Josh Wallace and senior Dan DeBruin each drove in runs.

The Flames cut the lead in half as they scored a run in the sixth inning (4-2). In the bottom of the seventh, UIC picked up five runs on just three hits and capitalized on one Valpo error. None of the Flames' hits left the infield and UIC took a 7-4 advantage. Freshman Andy Leonard, Ganek and freshman Steve McGuiggan all collected RBIs in the frame.

Three of the Flames runs were charged to Godawa, who did not record an out after he came on in place of sophomore right-hander Austen Siwiec. Freshman right-hander Andy Parker then replaced Godawa and recorded the final out of inning as the Flames stranded three runners.

Valparaiso cut the lead to two after it scored one run in the top of the eighth, but UIC increased its lead back to three as it scored a run in the bottom half of the inning. In the ninth, Phillis worked a perfect inning to close out the Crusaders.

The 2008 Horizon League Baseball Championship is being held at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio. Single-day tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and youth, while all-tournament passes are $20 and $14, respectively. Students from all Horizon League institutions are free with a valid student identification card. Gates will open one hour prior to the first game each day.

For additional Horizon League baseball information, including the championship bracket, directions to Eastwood Field, GameTracker live statistics and game recaps, check out the official web site at www.horizonleague.org. For free, live video web casts of all games of the Horizon League Baseball Championship, log onto the Horizon League Network at www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv.