March 15, 2001
Box Score
USF Clearwater Parks and Recreation Tournament
Game No. 1 - Pool Play
UIC 12, St. Francis (NY) 0 - 5 innings
Clearwater, Fla. - UIC junior Edel Leyden hit two home runs and tallied six RBI to lead the Flames to a 12-0, five inning, triumph over St. Francis (NY) on Thursday to open pool play at the USF Clearwater Parks and Recreation Tournament.
Leyden, who tied the school record for homers in a game, capped a three-run UIC rally in the first inning with a two-run shot to center field. After walking in the second, the Irvine, Calif., native came up with the bases loaded in the third inning and unloaded again, sending her grand slam shot well over the right field fence. The home runs were Leyden's first two of the season.
While the Flames' offense was exploding, freshman Alison Aguilar was keeping St. Francis in check from the circle, allowing just one hit en route to her first collegiate complete-game shutout. The win also improved Aguilar, who notched her fourth-straight victory, to 5-2 on the season.
Leyden and Aguilar weren't the only stars of the day, though, as freshman Jacquelyne Vaca went 3-for-3 with four RBI while Jennifer Tiffany and Amanda Rivera also chalked up RBI knocks as UIC won its second-straight game and improved to 16-15 on the season.
The Flames, now 1-0 in pool play, take on Tennessee Tech later on this afternoon.
Game No. 2 - Pool Play
UIC 2, Tennessee Tech 1
Clearwater, Fla. - Behind a strong pitching performance from rookie Alycia Creese and a timely bounce late in the game, UIC edged Tennessee Tech, 2-1, to remain undefeated in pool play at the USF Clearwater Parks and Recreation Tournament.
Creese, who improved to a team-best 8-6 on the year with the win, went the distance for the Flames, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out two.
UIC jumped on the board first as Edel Leyden drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the third inning to stake the Flames to a 1-0 lead. UIC seemed to be ready to add to that advantage in the third, but with two outs Amanda Rivera's line drive destined for center field deflected off the pitcher into the glove of the shortstop to end the Flames' rally.
The game would remain 1-0 until the sixth when Rivera led off with a walk and was then moved to third after bunts by Molly Freeman and Maral Binnebose to put a runner 60 feet away with two outs. Amber Stachura's shot to short then took a fortunate hop over the head of Marianne Novac to plate Rivera and give UIC an important insurance run.
The Flame would need that insurance policy after Tech scored a run in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI single by Novac.
Creese would shut the door in the seventh, though, as UIC moved to 2-0 in pool play and notched its third-straight win to improved to 17-15 on the year.
The Flames will wrap up pool play tomorrow as they take on Penn at 2:00 p.m. EST, followed by Canisius at 6:00 p.m. EST.
