IU, UIC split weekend

Friday, at the first game of the weekend series between the IU and Illinois-Chicago baseball squads, the Flames blanked the Hoosiers 6-0 with UIC pitcher Larry Banks throwing an eight-hit, complete-game shutout. \nIn the second match-up between the two schools, IU played a completely different team, with UIC having as many errors as they did runs while the Hoosiers had as many runs as they did hits Friday, defeating the Flames 8-3.\nUIC came to Bloomington prepared to face the Hoosiers, scoring all six of their runs in the fourth inning on four hits off of starting junior Brad Edwards. Four of the runs given up by Edwards were earned. The right-hander allowed eight hits, walked four and struck out four in his third consecutive loss. Freshman Mark Homco led the Flames offensively, going 3-3 at the plate.\nIn the second match-up, the Flames infield had more errors than the Hoosiers had hits leading to an eight-run disaster for UIC. Senior Nick Otte had another good outing for the Hoosiers, going 8 1/3 to record his third consecutive victory. Otte held the Flames hitless for the first four innings of the game, retiring the first 12 batters he faced. \nUIC tied the game at two in the fifth, but their defense let them down as senior Steve Carlton came in relief for the Flames in the sixth, walking five and giving up five runs on two hits.\n"Yesterday, they made all the plays," head coach Bob Morgan said. "Today, they had four or five errors, so they helped us a little bit. We ran the bases a little better but they helped us with some errors."\nMorgan said it was Otte that brought it together for IU.\n"(Otte) pitched a real good game for us and gave us the chance and opportunity and kept them down so it was good to see him come out and do a good job on the mound," Morgan said. "The difference was they helped us and Otte's pitching." \nOtte wasn't a dominating force on the mound, but by changing speeds with his fastball, he caught the UIC offense off guard and let the Hoosier defense make the plays.\n"I wasn't real sure with my off-speed pitches but as far as the fastball and letting them just hit the ball, I got in a groove," Otte said. "The defense was making plays. Just changing speeds with my fastball; they were just swinging at it and we were making plays."\nSenior Dan Haegele said Otte's performance allowed the Hoosiers offense to keep their focus on the plate.\n"When you go out there and score a couple runs, the pitcher comes out there and shuts them down, it gives your offense a boost," Haegele said. "You come back in and do it again and just have faith in (your pitcher) that he is going to shut him down. It makes it a lot easier on the offense. On the other hand, when you have bad pitching and you're scoring runs and they keep scoring, it's like, 'OK, what do we have to do to get something done?' Good pitching does carry."\nWith two starters on the bench, sophomore Vasili Spanos and junior Joe Sadler, the Hoosiers had to capitalize on UIC's mistakes and be more aggressive -- something they weren't able to do Friday.\n"We knew we would have to try and manufacture a few more runs and do some things on the bases; hit and run a little more and do some things like that," Morgan said. "We tried to do that, and I think that helped us and put them on the defensive."\nThe third game of the series was canceled because of the forecast of inclement weather Sunday.