CHICAGO (Interstat) — Gavin Acosta’s solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the difference as Illinois-Chicago edged Murray State 6-5 on Saturday afternoon at a Missouri Valley Conference matchup.

The Flames improved to 26-27 overall, while the Racers fell to 32-26. The win gave Illinois-Chicago a split of the season series after the Flames swept a three-game set in Chicago in April.

Murray State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Kris Hokenson singled to right-center, scoring Luke Mistone. The Racers added three more runs in the first after Connor Chisolm was hit by a pitch and Mistone reached on a fielder’s choice. Mistone later scored on Hokenson’s single. But Illinois-Chicago answered in the bottom of the first with three runs of their own. Alexander Wright’s groundout scored Lucas Smith, and Vidal Colon followed with a two-run single to center, scoring Jake Busson and Thomas Curry to tie the game at 3-3.

The Flames took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second. Ashton Kampa scored on a Thomas Curry single after reaching on an error by Racers pitcher Drew Deremer. Murray State tied the game in the third when Conner Cunningham grounded out to first, plating Mistone. The Racers went ahead 5-4 in the top of the fourth when Colby Ott’s sacrifice fly scored Daylan Pena.

Illinois-Chicago tied the game again in the bottom of the fourth on Curry’s sacrifice fly that scored Kampa. The score remained 5-5 until the bottom of the sixth, when Acosta launched a homer down the left-field line, giving the Flames a 6-5 lead.

Murray State mounted a final threat in the top of the ninth. Kainen Jorge led off with a solo homer to left-center, cutting the deficit to 6-5. But Illinois-Chicago reliever Mark Eddie retired the next three batters — Hokenson popped to shortstop, Cunningham popped to shortstop and Anthony Perritano grounded out to third — to end the game.

Jorge finished 2 for 5 with a home run and an RBI. Hokenson went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. For Illinois-Chicago, Curry had two hits and two RBIs, and Acosta provided the key blast.

On the mound, Murray State’s Ben Rosin tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing no hits. Illinois-Chicago starter Brandon Bak went 5.2 innings, giving up seven hits and four earned runs while striking out three. Eddie earned the win, pitching 3.1 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run with one strikeout.

The Racers had won three straight entering the game, including a 3-2 win at Indiana State on Thursday. The Flames were coming off an 11-1 rout of Southern Illinois on Thursday.

The Interstat ELO system had projected Murray State with a 57.40 percent probability to win the game.