UChicago Opens UAA Play with 8-4 Victory at No. 10 WashU
The University of Chicago baseball team earned an 8-4 win over #10 WashU to open the 2026 UAA season.
WashU struck first in the opening inning as the Bears took advantage of back-to-back hit batters to open the game, but UChicago answered right back as Harrison Belden launched his fourth career home run and third home run in the past four games to tie the game at one.
In the third, UChicago took the lead as Braden Jirovec singled home Luke Weston after his leadoff double. Then, following a pickoff attempt was throw into centerfield to allow Jirovec to move to third, Max Wiesner brought him home for an RBI fielder's choice.
The Maroons added an insurance run in the fifth with back-to-back two out hits as Erik Rindner tripled and Michael Gladden doubled him home to stretch the lead to 4-1.
WashU cut the lead to two with a two-out triple of their own, knocking the UChicago starter, John Butka, out of the game in after 5.2 innings, but David Flanagan entered and slammed to door to keep the 4-2 UChicago lead.
UChicago answered once again as Jirovec doubled, Rindner walked, and Gladden was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out in the seventh. Wiesner then ripped a double down the left field line to bring home two more runs, and Nathan Bae scored Gladden with a sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 7-2.
WashU scored again in the seventh and eighth innings, but Wiesner brought home his fourth run of the game with an RBI ground out in the ninth, scoring Jirovec, to seal the 8-4 win for the Maroons.
Braden Jirovec led the team with three hits and three runs, and Erik Rindner added two hits and two runs scored as both Jirovec and Rindner reached base in four of their five plate appearances. Max Wiesner earned four RBIs on the day.
John Butka threw 5.2 innings with 2 runs and 4 hits allowed, and Grant Tenuta sealed the win with two shutout innings and threw strikeouts to close the game.
With the win, the Maroons improve to 8-8 on the season and 1-0 in UAA play.