CHICAGO – For the ninth time in program history, the UIC Flames are Horizon League Tournament champions as they defeated Youngstown State, 6-3, in the title game Saturday at Flames Field.
 
UIC earns the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and will learn its regional selection Sunday night at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN2. It will be the Flames' first appearance since 2011.
 


All it took was three wins for the Flames to take hold of the trophy and they did just that with an opening win over Wright State and then two victories over the Penguins. UIC's perfect 3-0 tournament record marked the first time since 2004 it went without a loss.
 
The Flames put together an 11-hit effort to score their six runs across four innings. Lexi Watts went a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI as Tiana Mack-Miller and Kayla Wedl each picked up two hits. Of the runs driven in, Mack-Miller and Jasmine Willis notched two RBI apiece.
 
Elaine Heflin controlled the circle for the first 4.2 innings to earn her 13th win as she struck out three, walked four and allowed five hits. Allie Trudeau finished the game with two strikeouts and two hits allowed.
 
The Flames posted a run in their first turn at the plate. Watts led off with a single, stole her 28th base of the year and eventually scored as Mack-Miller turned a sacrifice fly to center. They would load the bases in the second as Wedl singled and Savannah Soppet and Watts walked but all remained.
 
For the third-straight frame, UIC put the leadoff batter on as Mack-Miller earned a walk. Willis then came to the plate and ripped her sixth home run of the year out to left center to go up 3-0. It did not stop there are Wedl hit her second single of the game then came in to score as Soppet doubled for the second time in the tournament.
 
After leaving three on in the first three frames, Youngstown State put up a threat in the fourth as it loaded the bases on a single and two walks but the Flames were able to get out of the jam.
 
The Flames increased their lead to 5-0 in the fourth as the leadoff batter reached base yet again with a bunt single from Watts. She advanced on a ground out and rounded the bases to score as Mack-Miller picked up her second RBI with a single into right.
 
The Penguins put a run on the board in the fifth as a pair of doubles scored one, with it being unearned after a dropped foul ball.
 
UIC tacked on another run in the fifth as Skylee James and Kaleigh Nagle both singled before Watts hit her third single of the game that scored Rachel May, who was in to pinch run, from second.
 
The final inning of play was not an easy one for the Flames as Youngstown State plated two runs. A groundout scored a runner who reached with a triple and the second run came in with a solo home run from Maria Lacatena.
 
At the conclusion of the championship, the All-Tournament Team was announced with Watts, Heflin and Wedl representing UIC. Mack-Miller took the top honor of Tournament MVP after going 5-for-8 with one double and one home run and added four RBI.