NIU game

[axaguy]

Got a chance to see UIC play in my back yard, so to speak, last night at Kane County Stadium in Geneva. Saw a nice game, despite the result. Also saw how coach Dee uses midweek/ non conference games. We used nine pithcers, one per inning throughout the game, by design and plan. Got some work for everyone while he searches for answers for the leaky staff....
The come from behind loss was hung on Jason Ganek, who pitched the ninth, though not listed as a pitcher on the roster, and played third base for the first eight innings.
Some very good defensive play was evident early with GREAT plays made by Ty Rubio, Matt Serna and Ganek (at third). The pitching by committee was pretty good , as well. All pitchers got some time, save two.
Took a 4 to 2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. A lead off hit batsman and three errors, or should be errors, sandwiched around one hit, plated the winning run. That's baseball, I guess...but seems to be our Achilles' Heel, though.
My thought is that one of the remaining rostered pitchers could have cemented the win, in a win starved season, but coach stuck to his original game plan. If we make the plays, we win.......
Too bad more adavnce publicity by both NIU and UIC didn't bring out more fans.........

[circle70]

I hate to say it, but this loss is on Coach Dee.

Why would you use a 3rd baseman to pitch the 9th inning in a "save" situation? I'm assuming that Heesch was unavailable for whatever reason and Kovacevich hasn't been used in a while, so I'm assuming he was also unavailable (not that any of that information is ever posted at UICFlames.com)

That left you with 8 pitchers to go 9 innings, assuming Coach Dee was going to his "staff night", which he did. Why didn't at least one pitcher go 2 innings, so that a pitcher was available for the 9th inning?

I know the game was lost due to atrocious defensive play in the inning, but the fact is, we went into the bottom of th 9th inning with a lead and a 3rd baseman on the mound.