May 7, 2005

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

East Cleveland, Ohio - Cleveland State's disappointing Horizon League slate continued on Saturday (May 7) as the Vikings dropped a pair of contests to UIC, 8-2 and 7-2, at Forest Hill Park.

A four-run first inning was all the Flames would need in the first game as Ryan Zink held the Vikings to two runs on eight hits in a seven-inning, 8-2, complete game victory.

CSU starter Jeff Katlen settled down after the tumultuous first inning, limiting UIC to three hits over his final 5.1 innings while striking out five.

The Vikings plated single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Following a lead-off double by Steve Chinn, Kolin Kelly and Dominic Erney rapped back-to-back singles to plate Chinn. Zink, however, would end the threat by retiring the next three hitters.

In the fifth, Bobby Cash came in on an RBI single to right by Mike Ochwat to cut the UIC lead to 6-2, but the deficit would prove to be too much to overcome.

Game two started out on a much better note, but ended with the same disappointment as CSU fell by a 7-2 count. The Vikings got on the board in the first on a strange defensive gaffe by the Flames.

With Kelly on first, UIC starter Scott Saling uncorked a wild pitch in the dirt that bounced away from catcher Bryan Nolte. Nolte recovered the ball and, in an attempt to gun down Kelly heading to second, tossed a wild one that went over the infielders and skipped between the center and right fielders. By the time right fielder recovered, Kelly was around third and slide in safely for a 1-0 lead.

The excitement would end there for the Vikings, as UIC would score six runs over the next four innings to claim their third-straight convincing win.

CSU falls to 9-30 overall and 2-13 in the Horizon League. UIC improves to 28-17-1 and 9-6 in conference play.

Cleveland State will attempt to salvage a win on Sunday (May 8) when the take on UIC beginning at 12:00 noon at Forest Hill Park.