CHICAGO, IL – Illinois Chicago pounded out 22 hits, and scored four or more runs in the first, third and fourth innings as they earned an 18-3 win over the Northern Illinois University baseball team Wednesday afternoon at Curtis Granderson Stadium.

"This is an unforgiving game and when you make mistakes, good teams make you pay," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "UIC is a very talented team."

Junior pitcher William Anderson (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) suffered the loss as he scattered five hits and struck out one batter, while walking three.

UIC connected for two home runs in the fourth inning, including a grand slam, as part of an eight-run frame in earning their 11th win of the season. NIU fell to 4-11 overall.

The Huskies snagged an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) single, third on Samuel Vega's (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Southwestern Junior College) reach on a fielder's choice and scored on Jake Dunham's (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) sacrifice fly to center field.

UIC countered in the bottom half of the frame though as the Flames connected for a run-scoring single and a three-run home run.

Despite the loss, Dunham continued his streak of reaching base safely at 14 games as he drew a walk in the third inning. Jumonville went 3 for 5 with a run scored to lead the Huskies' offense while Wood, Vega, Scooter Bynum (Fairbanks, Alaska /Arizona Western College), and Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) each had a hit. Dunham drove in a run on an RBI groundout in the fifth and Bynum laced a run-scoring single in the frame.

"We need to be ready to compete for every pitch, every at bat, every inning and every game," Kunigonis said.

NIU resumes action this weekend when it travels to Bloomington, Indiana to take on Big Ten opponent Indiana University for a three-game series, starting Friday with a 5 p.m. single game.

--NIU--