CARBONDALE, Ill. – The UIC softball team (9-9) was on the losing side of a pair of 1-0 decisions Sunday on the final day at the Coach B Classic as it was edged by Western Illinois (6-11) and Murray State (14-4) at Charlotte West Stadium.
 
The Flames were able to put together just five hits across the two games. Savannah Soppet earned credit for two as Jasmine Willis, Kayla Wedl and Taylor Cairns added the other tallies.
 
UIC has a tough weekend ahead in Norman, Okla., as it is scheduled to face Nebraska-Omaha and the reigning NCAA Women's College World Series champion #9/9 Oklahoma. The Flames will take on each team twice during the OU Tournament on Saturday (March 11) and Sunday (March 12) at Marita Hynes Field.
 
Western Illinois 1, UIC 0
 
For the third-straight game, UIC was held to five or less hits as it combined with Western Illinois for a season-low four total hits. Soppet was responsible for the Flames' two tallies as she registered a double and a single.
 
Allie Trudeau earned her third start of the season and threw 6.1 innings, in which she struck out four, walked four and allowed just two hits. Karissa Frazier came in with one out in the seventh to finish the game.
 
Soppet became UIC's first base runner in the second as she hit a two-out double. She then aided in the Flames' effort in the bottom of the fifth as Cairns reached on an error to lead off and Soppet followed with her second hit of the game, a single. However, the next three batters were all retired to leave the pair in scoring position.
 
Western Illinois had just two players reach base across the first five innings with a pair of walks before it got its first hit of the game to lead off the sixth and left the runner at the end of the frame.
 
It was the Leathernecks who scored the go-ahead and game-winning run in the top of the seventh as a walk and a double brought in the run. A walk put two on with one out, but UIC was able to turn the double play. In their final chance to answer in the bottom of the inning, the Flames were forced to go three up, three down.
 
Murray State 1, UIC 0
 
UIC scattered seven runners on base but could not find the run to answer that of Murray State as an unfortunate passed ball gave the Racers the eventual win. Three hits were acquired by the Flames in the game by Wedl, Cairns and Willis.
 
Elaine Heflin threw her seventh complete game of the season as she did not earn credit for the run scored but struck out three, walked one and allowed seven hits.
 
After a stagnant first inning, UIC put runners on in the next four frames, but a total of six were left on base. Wedl and Cairns each picked up singles, while Alice Fitzpatrick and Soppet walked and Claire Crane (2) and Tiana Mack-Miller reached on errors.
 
While it left four runners on in the preceding two innings, Murray State was able to push a run across the plate in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff single, sacrifice bunt and another single put runners at the corners before a passed ball allowed the run to score.
 
In their last chance in the seventh, the Flames led off with a single from Willis but could not make anything of it as three groundouts followed.