May 3, 2003

Box Score

Chicago, Ill. -Sophomore Kristin Cumbo's two-out RBI double in the top of the seventh inning of game two gave UIC an 8-7 victory and a doubleheader split with Horizon League leader Youngstown State on Saturday afternoon at Flames Field. The Penguins iced the Flames 6-1 in the opener.

With the split, UIC secured a third-place finish in the Horizon League as they now sit at 10-7 in the league, 18-35 overall heading into tomorrow's regular-season finale. Youngstown State (34-14-1, 13-4-1), meanwhile, still can clinch the league regular-season title with a win over the Flames tomorrow, but a Penguin loss and a Loyola (30-21, 15-5) win at Detroit would give the Ramblers the crown and top seed in next weekend's Horizon League Tournament.

UIC's offense came alive in the second game on Saturday as the Flames pounded out a season-high 15 hits.

Freshman Nicole Shepard tied the school record for hits in a game with her 4-for-4 effort while also driving in three runs. Cumbo was a stellar 3-for-3 at the dish with three RBI of her own. Junior Amanda Rivera was the other Flame with a three-hit game, going 3-for-4.

The contest was scoreless through the first three innings, until UIC broke things open with three runs in the top of the fourth.

Sara Hernandez and Rivera opened the frame with hits, then an RBI groundout by Alyica Creese, followed by a run-scoring single by Shepard and an RBI double by Cumbo staked the Flames to a 3-0 lead.

All three runs were charged to YSU starter Stephanie Hartman, who was spelled by Ashley Lockmiller after Cumbo's double.

Youngstown State quickly closed on UIC, plating a pair of its own in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, bases-loaded walk, followed by a two-out, bases-loaded wild pitch.

The Flames kept pouring it on, though, with three more runs in the fifth on a two-run double by Shepard and a RBI single by Cumbo.

The Penguins tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth, but UIC matched that run with one of its own on a single by Michelle Miller to give the Flames a seemingly comfortable 7-3 advantage.

UIC's comfort level dimished quickly in the bottom of the sixth when two errors and three YSU hits led to four runs and a tie game, 7-7.

Lockmiller retired the first two batters with ease in the top of the seventh, then Shepard chopped one high off home plate that went no more than five feet past home plate, but was high enough for her to reach first safely for her fourth hit of the game.

Cumbo then came through with a two-out double to left-center field to score Shepard and give the Flames the eventual 8-7 victory.

Freshman pitcher Brittany McIntyre was the benefactor of UIC's offensive output on Saturday, picking up the win to move to 8-13 on the year. She allowed seven runs, four earned while scattering eight hits in seven innings of work.

Lockmiller was the loser, falling to 4-3 on the year.

In game one, Youngstown State's Amanda Berry was a one-woman wrecking crew, going 3-for-4 with a pair of triples and five RBI.

Berry broke open a scoreless game in the top of the fifth inning, as with two outs and the base loaded she laced a three-bagger down the right field line that plated all three baserunners.

UIC cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Sara Hernandez.

With the score 3-1 in the seventh inning, the junior added to the Penguins lead with another two-out triple, this time bringing in two more runs. Liz Holt would drive in YSU's sixth run with a bloop single to right.

Steph Hartman entered in relief of Kelly Murphy and retired the Flames in order to end the game. Murphy, who allowed just one run on six hits, became the first Youngstown State pitcher to win 20 games as she moved to 20-4 on the year.

UIC junior Alison Aguilar, who surrendered six runs on 14 hits, was tagged with loss, dropping to 9-18 this season.

The Flames will be back in action tomorrow, wrapping up its three-game series with the Penguins at 1:00 p.m., at Flames Field.