CHICAGO – Illinois State took an 8-5 lead into the ninth inning on Saturday, thanks to a four-run sixth inning. However, the host UIC Flames would score four of their own in the bottom of the ninth to pick up a 9-8 walk off win over the Redbirds at Les Miller Field at Curtis Granderson Stadium. With the defeat, the Redbirds fall to 30-20 and move to 12-11 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Luke Stulga paced the Redbird offense against the Flames, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two driven in. Brayden Bakes also collected a pair of hits as did Camden Karczewski, who also drove in a scored a run. Graham Mastros also drove in a pair courtesy of his 12th home run of the season. Thomas Harper was strong in relief of starter Carson Cormier, as he allowed just one run on three hits while striking out one in three innings of work.
The Redbirds took an early lead in the top of the first inning, when Stolga laced a two-out single to right field to score Brayden Bakes from third and give the Birds a 1-0 lead. A two-run home run by Mastros extended the Redbird lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning. UIC would answer with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third to cut the deficit to 3-2. After a scoreless fourth inning, the Flames tied the game in the bottom of the fifth at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly by Lucas Smith.
To start the sixth inning, the Redbirds loaded the bases with nobody out and regained the lead at 4-3 on an RBI single through the right side by Karczewski that scored Michael Carrano. With the bases still loaded, ISU extended the advantage to 5-3 on a sacrifice fly by Eric Machej that brought home Stulga from third. A one-out walk by Payton McHarg would once again load the bases for Ryan Bakes, who flew out to right field, but Josh Outlaw was able to tag and score on the sacrifice fly to make it 6-3 in favor of the Redbirds. ISU would make it a four-spot as Brayden Bakes reached on an error by the UIC second baseman which allowed Karczewski to score from third and bring the score to 7-3.
Once again, UIC would have an answer for the ISU runs as the Flames also loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Harper would get a big strikeout for the first out of the frame, before UIC would add a run on a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the ISU advantage to 7-4. However, the Redbirds would get out of the inning surrendering just the one run as Harper got out of the jam as he threw out the UIC runner on a comebacker to end the sixth.
ISU got the run right back in the top of the seventh inning, as Stulga hit a one-out solo shot to right field for his third homer of the year to make it 8-4. Another answer by the Flames, courtesy of a solo home run off the bat of Thomas Curry, would cut the Redbird lead to three at 8-5 headed to the eighth inning.
Both teams went scoreless in the eighth and the Redbirds failed to score in the top of the ninth, as the Flames headed to place to face ISU closer Reece Clapp in the bottom of the ninth. After a defensive miscue allowed the first UIC batter to reach base, Curry drove in his third run of the game to cut the Redbird lead to two at 8-6 with nobody out. The Flames would load the bases with one out, and they would tie the game at 8-8 on a flare single to right field off the bat of Vidal Colon.
With the bases loaded and one out, the Redbirds went to the bullpen and Shuto Tiger Okumura took the mound looking to extend the game. Okumura would get the second out of the inning when he struck out James Hackett, but Ashton Kampa would single through the right side for the walk off winner for UIC by a final of 9-8.
ISU and UIC will play the final game of the weekend series on Sunday, with first pitch set for 4:05 p.m. CT at Les Miller Field at Curtis Granderson Stadium.
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