Feb. 3, 2002
Box Score
Santa Barbara, Calif. - Freshman Kristin Cumbo's bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the UIC softball team a dramatic, come-from-behind 10-9 triumph over New Mexico State in the Flames' final game of the UCSB Early Bird Tournament.
The Flames, who moved to 3-2 on the year with the win, battled from behind all day before tying the game in the sixth inning then rallying from a run down in the eighth for the victory.
Sophomore Alycia Creese earned the win, moving to 3-0 on the year. Creese was the third UIC pitcher to see action in the game, giving up three runs and striking out two in two-plus innings of work.
Starter Rory Gonzales-Gould was roughed up early by the Aggies, lasting just 1/3 of an inning while allowing three runs on three hits and a hit batter. Gonzales-Gould then gave way to Alison Aguilar, who worked into the fifth inning allowing three runs.
The Flames trailed 4-0 in the second inning when they got things going behind the red-hot bat of senior Jennifer Tiffany. Tiffany (2-for-5, 3 RBI) got UIC on the board with a two-run double. The Flames would take the lead later in the frame as junior Emily Hallmann launched a three-run homer for a 5-4 lead.
UIC would find itself down, once again, in the bottom of the sixth inning, trailing 8-7 after the Aggies put a pair on the board in the top of the frame. Sophomore Jacquelyne Vaca would knot the game, though, in the sixth with an RBI double.
The game would move to extra innings, where under international rules New Mexico State tallied a single run in the top of the eighth.
The Flames went to work in the bottom of the eighth as with Hallmann starting on second base, Edel Leyden attempted to sacrifice her to third. The Aggies tried to nail Hallmann at third, but when she beat the throw UIC had runners on second and third with nobody out.
New Mexico State would then intentionally walk slugger Amanda Rivera to load the bases. That move would prove costly as freshman Sara Hernandez would follow by drawing a walk of her own to tie the game at 9-9.
The Aggies would get two outs, but Cumbo draw a bases loaded walk to end the game.
The Flames will now be off until Feb. 16, when they compete at the Mizzou Invitational hosted by the University of Missouri.
