March 2, 2001
Box Score
3rd Annual Southeast Softball Classic
Game #1
UIC 7, Buffalo 3
Cape Girardeau, Mo. - The UIC softball team fought back from a 3-1 deficit on Friday night to down Buffalo, 7-3, in opening-day action of the Southeast Softball Classic hosted by Southeast Missouri State University.
With the win, the Flames second straight, UIC improves to 11-10 on the year and 1-0 at the Southeast Softball Classic. Buffalo, meanwhile, dropped to 2-5 on the year with the loss.
Freshman Alycia Creese pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief of starter Alison Aguilar to pick up her team-best fifth win of the season. The freshman, who fanned a personal-best nine batters, is now 5-4 on the year. The duo of Creese and Aguilar combined for season-high 11 strikeouts in the contest while walking just one.
The Flames, who left freshman Shannon Perry stranded on second after a leadoff double in the second, scored first with a run in the bottom of the third as pinch runner Amy Gonzales scored on a bases loaded wild pitch to put UIC up 1-0.
The Bulls answered in the top of the fourth as a ball off the bat of Stacee Madden rolled through a shifted infield, allowing Allison Round to score from second. Lisa Cox then singled over the head of shortstop Jen Tiffany to quickly stake Buffalo to a 2-0 advantage.
The hit also ended the day for Aguilar as head coach Mike McGovern brought in rookie Alycia Creese. The Bulls would plate one more run in the fourth as Madden scored on a wild pitch from Creese. The freshman would get the next two batters, though, to end Buffalo's rally and keep the Flames' deficit at two runs, 3-1.
UIC would even the game at 3-3 in the fifth as a two-out bases loaded single by freshman Jacquelyne Vaca plated two, with the second run scoring as right fielder Danielle Hayes juggled the ball as she attempted to field it.
Two Bull errors helped the Flames break things open in the bottom of the sixth with the back breaker coming with the bases loaded and nobody out as Buffalo third baseman Madden fell after fielding a shot hop off the bat of Tiffany. Madden then threw wildly to the plate, allowing two runs to score to give UIC a 5-3 lead. Edel Leyden then put the Flames' up 7-3 with a two-run double into the gap.
Earlier in the day, Southwest Missouri State (3-4) run-ruled intrastate rival, and tournament host Southeast Missouri State (0-1), 10-1, in six innings.
The Flames are back in action tomorrow (March 3) as they take on Western Kentucky at 10:00 a.m., followed by the host Ohtakians at 12:00 p.m.
