March 6, 2003
Box Score
Plant City, Fla.- The UIC softball team went 1-1 on Thursday in opening day action at the 2003 Speedline Invitational, downing Maryland 5-2, before falling to Michigan State 9-1.
Versus the Terrapins, the Flames (3-13) overcame an early two-run deficit to pull out the win.
UIC allowed two runs in the top of the first, but battled back to tally three of its own in the bottom of the frame.
Then in the bottom of the fifth inning, junior Alycia Creese, who went 2-for-2 on the day with a walk, gave the Flames a four-run cushion with a two-run homer. It was her first home run of the season.
Rookies Michelle Miller (2-for-4) and Joyce Cathey (2-for-4) both tallied multi-hit outings to help propel UIC's offense.
Rookie Brittany McIntyre picked up her second win of the season in the circle. The former Sandburg High School product scattered six hits over seven innings while striking out two. McIntyre allowed just one earned run on the day and has now allowed just two in her last three outings.
In the second game of the day, Michigan State got to UIC starter Alison Aguilar, tagging her for seven runs, four earned, in just four innings of work en route to a 9-1, six-inning dousing of the Flames.
With the loss, Aguilar drops to 1-6 on the year.
UIC actually got onto the board first versus the Spartans, as Cathey led off the game with a double, then later scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Sara Hernandez.
Michigan State stormed back, though, with three of their own in the first, then one in the second, three more in the fourth, before single runs in the fifth and sixth innings led to the final 9-1 outcome.
Spartan starter Stephanie Christan held the Flames to just three hits in six innings while fanning six en route to the win.
UIC is back in action tomorrow with a pair of games on the schedule. The Flames continue pool play with Florida Atlantic at 3:00 p.m., then finish the day with UT-Chattanooga at 5:00 p.m.
