UIC's post-season run ends in 4-3 loss to Long Beach State
June 3, 2007
Long Beach State 4, UIC 3 (UIC eliminated)Box Score
Long Beach, Calif.- A spectacular 2007 season for the UIC baseball team came to an end on Sunday, as the Flames were edged by Long Beach State, 4-3, in an elimination game at the NCAA Long Beach Regional at Blair Field.
UIC finished the year with a 35-21 record.
Jake Carr homered, while Erik Whinery went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Starter Steve Crnkovich was charged with the loss after allowing three runs in three innings.
A one-out walk to Travis Howell in the second came home to haunt Crnkovich, as Robert Perry followed with a double to center on a hit-and-run to allow Howell to score from first.
But Larry Gempp Jr. quickly evened the score for UIC. After leading off the Flames' half of the second with a single to right, he advanced to second on Arif's errant throw to first on a pickoff attempt. Gempp moved to third on a groundout and scored with two away on Arif's wild pitch.
In the fourth inning the Dirtbags chased Crnkovich, who was relieved by Joe Skinner after loading the bases with no outs. Long Beach State came away with just two runs after Skinner minimized the damage by inducing a double play.
Long Beach State added an insurance run in the sixth when Matt Cline scored from third on Chris Nelson's double down the right field line.
UIC would not go away. Carr led off the seventh with a monstrous solo shot to left off of Arif to cut the Flames' deficit to 4-3.
Closer David Cales kept the Flames in the game with 3.1 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief on the mound. But the Flames were unable to get that elusive run to tie the game.
