CHICAGO, Ill. - A big eighth inning provided the difference for UIC against the Milwaukee baseball team, using a late comeback to steal a 6-5 victory Sunday afternoon at Granderson Stadium.
 
The Panthers (14-16, 6-4 Horizon League) held a 5-1 lead into the eighth inning against the Flames (15-19, 7-4 Horizon League), only to see the home team use four hits, two walks, two wild pitches and a hit batter to stage an improbable rally and claim the series win as a result.
 
The late-inning heroics by the Flames spoiled a solid outing by Adam Reuss, who had allowed just a single run and took a three-hitter into the eighth inning before allowing back-to-back one-out hits that ended his day.
 
"That one stings," Milwaukee head coach Scott Doffek said. "We played very well in many aspects today. Starting with Adam Reuss. He was outstanding all day and it's a shame we couldn't close that one down for him."
 
Reuss' line for the day read three earned runs in 7.1 innings, walking one and striking out five.
 
"We got some big two-out hits to give us that 5-1 cushion, but let the eighth inning get away from us."
 
At that point in the game, Milwaukee had built that solid 5-1 advantage, scoring on a wild pitch in the fifth inning to break up what had been a scoreless affair at the time.
 
The Panthers would grab a 2-0 advantage on an error before UIC would finally get on the scoreboard in the sixth. A great two-out rally with no one on base in the seventh seemed to give UWM the upper hand.
 
Dan Barwick walked and Billy Quirke was hit by a pitch. Eric Solberg doubled in a run and Luke Meeteer followed with a single to center to drive in a pair and make it 5-1 at the time.
 
Meeteer led the offense with a 3-for-5 day, adding a double and scoring a run in addition to his two RBI. Solberg went 2-for-5. David Cronin was the only Flame with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
 
UIC could do no wrong in the eighth, and most of it came with two outs as a bases-loaded sac fly made it 5-2. A walk loaded the bases and a hit batter forced in a run. An infield single off the UWM pitcher found a way to get it another run and a two-run single to right gave the Flames the improbable 6-5 advantage.
 
The Panthers got the tying run on base with one out in their half of the ninth but a double play ended the contest.
 
Up next, Milwaukee heads back to Illinois for the fifth straight game, taking on Northern Illinois Tuesday. Game time is set for 3 p.m.