Micky Pingree

March 3, 2007

Knoxville, Tenn.- The UIC baseball team overcame a four-run deficit with five unanswered runs in the final two innings to defeat 19th-ranked Tennessee, 6-5, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday.

Micky Pingree went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI, while Chad Schroeder and Ben Trotter also drove in runs.

Larry Gempp Jr. was 3-for-5 at the dish with a run scored. Nick Rainwater had a 2-for-4 day in the batter's box.

"I was really pleased that our guys played nine innings today, and that has been an encouraging pattern for us all year," said UIC head coach Mike Dee.

UIC (3-4) fell behind after the host Vols (6-6) scored three times in the bottom of the first off of starter Zach Peterson.

The Flames got on the board in the third when Schroeder brought in Rainwater from third on a single.

Peterson calmed down to give up just one more run during the rest of his outing, which lasted six innings.

Tennessee scored in the fifth on a two-out solo shot off the bat of Tony Delmonico and added another in the seventh off of reliever Adam Worthington to go up 5-1.

That's when the Flames began their rally. With one out Gempp singled to right center, Tyler Moore bunted for a base hit and Brett Schaefer walked to load the bases. Trotter then delivered an RBI single to center to cut the Vols' lead to 5-2 and keep the bags full of Flames.

Pingree followed with a bases-clearing double into left center to tie the game.

After Andrew Davis pitched a scoreless eighth, UIC took its first lead of the game in the top of the ninth. Schroeder walked with one out and moved to second on a Gempp single. Moore then hit a single to short, and a throwing error by Delmonico allowed Schroeder to score the go-ahead run.

David Cales moved from first base to the mound in the bottom of the frame to close out the game. Tennessee's Danny Lima led off with a single and moved 90 feet away from tying the score with just one out after stealing second and advancing to third on UIC catcher Erik Whinery's throwing error. But Cales struck out Michael Moore and induced a groundout to third off the bat of Cody Brown to pick up his second save of the year.

"We did a nice job at the end," said Dee. "Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and put forth the same kind of effort."

Davis earned his first win in a UIC uniform. UT reliever Nick Hernandez was charged with the loss.

UIC and Tennessee play the second game of their three-game series on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT.