UIC Captures 2019 #HLBASE Championship
Championship Highlights
FAIRBORN, Ohio – UIC captured the 2019 Horizon League Baseball Championship on Saturday in come-from-behind fashion over Milwaukee, 6-5, and earned the HL’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. It marks the second #HLBASE title for the Flames in three seasons.
No. 2 UIC 6, No. 3 Milwaukee 5
Box Score
The #HLBASE Championship game was a see-saw battle between No. 2 UIC and No. 3 Milwaukee, but in the end the Flames prevailed to claim the #HLBASE tournament title.
Milwaukee jumped out to an early 3-0 as Jack Thelen doubled in a run in the second inning followed by Mitchell Buban and Devin Rybacki each driving in a run in the top of the fourth. UIC bounced back in the bottom half of the fourth as Tournament MVP Ryan Hampe blasted a two-run home run to make it a one-run game.
The Flames grabbed their first lead of the game one inning later as All-Tournament Team selections Ryan Lin-Peistrup, Scott Ota and Hampe hit three-straight RBI singles to make the score 5-3. The Panthers continued to fight as Trevor Schwecke drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle to tie the game in the sixth inning.
UIC was not to be denied on Saturday as Hampe would smash a solo home run, his second the game, over the wall in left-center field to put the Flames up for good.
All-Tournament Team selection Alex Padilla would earn the save after throwing the final 1.2 innings without allowing a run. The championship was given an exclamation point on its last play as Thomas Smart made a leaping catch at the wall in left field for the final out.
Milwaukee’s senior starter Jared Reklaitis gave everything he had in his final start as he tossed 7.0 innings with eight strikeouts after throwing on Wednesday for the Panthers.
UIC will be the Horizon League’s automatic qualifier in this year’s NCAA Championship and will find out its Regional location on Monday, May 27 at noon ET on ESPNU.
2019 #HLBASE All-Tournament Team
Ryan Hampe, UIC (MVP)
Ryan Lin-Peistrup, UIC
Scott Ota, UIC
Alex Padilla, UIC
Tyler Bordner, Milwaukee
Joe Vyskocil, Milwaukee
Devin Rybacki, Milwaukee
Mike Edwards, Milwaukee
Tyler Black, Wright State
Seth Gray, Wright State
Peyton Burdick, Wright State