April 16, 2002
Box Score
Chicago, Ill. - The UIC softball team ran its winning streak to four games on Tuesday as they came from behind to take both games of a twilight doubleheader from visiting Purdue at Flames Field.
The Flames (27-18) came back twice in the first game to win, 8-5, then rallied from a one-run deficit in the sixth inning on a clutch two-out, two-run double by Jennifer Tiffany in the nightcap for a 7-6 triumph over the Boilermakers (31-18).
"I thought that tonight was a manifestation of the work we did as a team to get things right over the weekend," Co-Head Coach Tom Gray remarked after the game. "We battled and hung together all afternoon and rallied back in both games."
While UIC's pitching staff struggled in spots on Tuesday, the offense carried over its production from Monday's sweep of Cleveland State as they pounded out 18 hits in the doubleheader. Sophomore Amanda Rivera, who had five RBI yesterday versus CSU, tallied six more versus Purdue, going 3-for-5 at the plate, including a grand slam in the second game. Rivera now leads the team with 48 RBI this season.
The first game was a true team effort for UIC as every starter tallied a hit in the 8-5 comeback win.
Purdue jump out early on UIC in the opening contest, chasing starter Alison Aguilar after she gave up three runs in 2 1/3 innings of work. In the bottom of the third inning, though, the Flames evened the score 3-3 on a run-scoring single by Edel Leyden and a two-out, two-run knock by senior Amber Stachura.
The Boilermakers quickly retook the lead 5-3 in the top of the fourth with two runs off Flames reliever Alycia Creese.
After going quietly in the fourth, UIC stormed back in the fifth off Purdue reliever Nicole Crouse (12-6), plating five runs for an 8-5 lead. Rivera, Jacquelyne Vaca, Cameron Astiazaran and Emily Hallman all tallied RBI singles during the rally.
Creese (12-6), who scattered six hits and allowed two runs, would shut the door on the Boilermakers in the sixth and seventh to pick up her 12th win of the season.
In game two, it was the Flames that got on the board first as Rivera laced a RBI single to center in the first for a 1-0 UIC lead.
The Boilermakers would even the score with a run in the fourth off Flames starter Amanda Ritchie, but the sophomore hurler would pitch her way out of a bases-leaded, no-out jam in the fifth to keep the score knotted heading into the bottom of the frame.
Purdue would seemingly find its way out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth as with one-out Sara Hernandez grounded one sharply to third. The relay throw from the catcher to first, though, pulled Heidi Foster off the bag, giving the Flames new life. Slugger Amanda Rivera made them pay, launching a towering grand slam over the centerfield scoreboard, giving UIC a 5-1 lead. It was Rivera's 10th homer of the season.
UIC lead was short-lived, though, as Purdue plated five runs with two outs in the top of the sixth to regain the lead, 6-5. After a run scored on a throwing error by starter Ritchie, who was initially hit in the face by a one-hopper off the bat of Angela knight. Katie Crabtree tied the score with a three-run home run to left. A Angi Roembke would follow with a single to chase Ritchie, but Andrea Hillsey would double off reliever Rory Gonzales-Gould to give the Boilermakers a one-run edge.
As they had all day, the Flames battled back in the sixth, quickly loading the bases off Purdue starter Leighann Burke. The Boilermakers brought in game one starter Megan Dooley to close the door and she got close when she got Edel Leyden to pop out and leftfielder Roembke tossed out Astiazaran trying to tag up from third.
With two outs, senior Jennifer Tiffany came through with a clutch game-winning two-run double over Roembke's head to give UIC a 7-6 lead.
Gonzales-Gould would provide some tense moments in the top of the seventh for Flame fans, but would get out of it to pick up her second win of the year.
UIC will now look to make it five-in-a-row on Thursday and three straight versus Big 10 comeptition as they welcome Wisconsin to Flames Field for a single game at 5:00 p.m.
