Feb. 5, 2000
Box Score
San Diego, Calif. - The 22nd-ranked UIC softball team defeated San Diego State and No. 15 Long Beach State to remain undefeated through the first day of the SDSU Tournament at San Diego State. The Flames downed SDSU, 5-3, and Long Beach State, 7-6.
The Flames return to action 11 a.m. CDT Sunday morning in a rematch against Long Beach State.
No. 22 UIC 7, No. 15 Long Beach State 6 UIC used a four-run sixth inning to rally for a 7-6 victory over 15th-ranked Long Beach State. Edel Leyden and Jennifer Tiffany combined for four RBI while sophomore Rory Gonzales-Gould picked up the win for the Flames.
UIC faced its first deficit of the season when 49ers jumped to an early 2-0 lead after Long Beach State first baseman Jessica Smith nailed a two-run homer with two outs in the first. UIC came back to knot the score at 2-2 in the top of the first, thanks to RBI's from Leyden and Emily Webster.
LBSU went back ahead, 3-2, in the bottom of the second and held the lead until the fifth inning, when Stefanie Christoferson hit a long fly to left field that brought Tiffany across the place for the tying run.
UIC struck its most damaging blow in the sixth inning, erupting for four runs to gain a 7-3 advantage in the top of the inning. Amber Stachura started off the inning with a double and Julie Bumgardner walked to give UIC runners at first and second. Then, after two Flame strikeouts, Leyden hit a two-out double to drive in Stachura and give UIC its first lead of the game at 4-3. Tiffany was up next, and singled down the right field line to drive in two more runs and up UIC's lead 6-3. Gina Arnold then nailed a shot to the outfield fence, good enough for a triple and the game-winning RBI.
The Flames held off a late Long Beach rally and held on for the 7-6 win, UIC's fourth straight to open the season. The win dropped the 49ers to 1-1.
No. 22 UIC 5, San Diego State 3
Jennifer Tiffany went 2-for-4 from the plate with two RBI, including the game winner, as the No. 22 UIC Flames improved to 3-0 with a 5-3 victory over San Diego State in the opening game of the SDSU Tournament.
Samantha Iuli (2-0) picked up the win for the Flames while driving in two RBI of her own. The win was UIC's second over the Aztecs in as many days. The Flames defeated SDSU 2-0 on Friday en route to capturing the USD Round Robin Tournament Championship.
Iuli threw five strikeouts and the victory while allowing five hits in seven innings. After UIC jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings, SDSU scored all three of its runs in the third inning to cut the margin to one. Four of the Aztecs five hits came in that inning, but Iuli did not allow SDSU a single hit after the third to help UIC secure the victory.
The Flames added an isurance run in the third when Emily Webster knocked in Stachura, providing UIC with its final 5-3 advantage.
The win improved UIC's record to 3-0 while SDSU fell to 0-3.
UIC will take the field next against No. 15 Long Beach State today at 4:30 p.m., CDT.
