VALPARAISO — Through the course of his Valparaiso career, junior Dalton Lundeen has experienced his fair share of successful starts while piling up league awards.
However, Illinois-Chicago has become like kryptonite for the left-handed starter.
A string of UIC victories against Lundeen that spans the length of his collegiate tenure continued Friday as the Flames dispatched the Crusaders 12-3.
The win allowed the Flames (17-14-1, 12-4) to remain 1/2 game ahead of Wright State for first place in the Horizon League and caused Valparaiso to drop to 21/2 off the pace.
The Crusaders (13-19, 9-6) are now 0-5 in games that Lundeen pitches against UIC. After scoring six times in the fifth inning against Lundeen in March, the Flames exploded for a five-run fifth on Friday to open up a seven-run lead.
“They hit the ball hard on the ground,” Lundeen said. “They stay on some good pitches and were able to fight off my off-speed pitches. That one inning got away from us, and that was caused by not hitting spots.”
Lundeen (3-4) took the loss after yielding seven runs, all earned, on 12 hits in six innings.
Valparaiso coach Brian Schmack said that it seemed as if UIC hitters knew which pitches were coming.
“If it’s a good spot and you know it’s coming, it should still be an out,” Lundeen said. “That obviously makes it harder, for sure.”
Jake Dahlberg (5-2) limited the Crusaders to two runs on six hits in eight innings.
Dahlberg did hit one rough patch in the seventh inning, when he issued four walks and surrendered two runs. However, he remained in the game to work a scoreless eighth.
More Top Picks Buying Advice
“I had to battle through that,” Dahlberg said. “That’s something that I’m not used to experiencing. It really tested my ability to handle adversity, so I had to settle down and get back to work.”
Spencer Mahoney was Valparaiso’s offensive bright spot, recording three of the team’s seven hits. Mahoney’s double down the right-field line with two outs in the third was the only extra-base hit by the Crusaders.
The Flames tacked on five insurance runs in the ninth. Three of the runs were unearned by virtue of back-to-back errors. Luke Syens hit three of the five batters he faced and was charged with four runs (two earned) in 1/3 of an inning.
“We gave him an opportunity to go in there and get some lefties out, and once that didn’t happen, the inning unraveled,” Schmack said of Syens. “He’s got a good arm, so we’re trying to give him some opportunities to get back on track when there’s not much pressure.
Munster graduate Scott Jerge made his third relief appearance of the year and sent the Flames down in order in the eighth.
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m.
“They’re college kids, they’ll forget about (Friday) as soon as they leave this place,” Schmack said. “I just told them to come back and be ready to win two games.”
Vickrey is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.