Sept. 21, 2008
Box Score - Northwestern v. UIC
Box Score - Illinois v. UIC
Normal, Ill. - For the second time in the Illinois Collegiate State Championship, the UIC softball team needed extra innings in their game against Illinois, but came out on the losing end of the third-place Gold Bracket match on Sunday, falling to the Illini 7-3.
After earning a 2-0 record in round robin play on Saturday by defeating Illinois State in extra innings as well as Northern Illinois, the Flames were placed into the Gold Bracket, along with DePaul, Illinois and first round opponent Northwestern.
Game One
Northwestern 7, UIC 0
The Flames were unable to create any offense against the Wildcats in the first game on Sunday, losing to Northwestern 7-0.
Only three UIC players reached base during the match-up, with Sarah Clynes left-field single breaking up Lauren Delaney's no-hitter in the top of the seventh. Northwestern's hurler threw a complete game, giving up one hit and tossing seven strikes.
The Flames got out of a bases loaded jam twice-- in the fourth and the fifth innings, courtesy of smart infield maneuvers by Christie Seddon and Melissa Marinacci.
Game Two
Illinois 7, UIC 3
In the third-place game in the Gold bracket, the Flames struck first after Shannon Kehr's sacrifice fly to deep left-center field brought Carly DeMarco home. On the ensuing play, Alicia Abbott's single down the left side drove Melissa Marinacci for the second run of the first inning.
Illinois tied it up in the third, after a pair of base hits and a miscue in the infield allowed Lana Armstrong and Danielle Zymkowitz to score.
The Illini threatened in the sixth with the bases loaded, but the Flames quashed any offensive opportunities with an easy play at the plate by Kelsey Sturgeon from Clynes.
Melissa Marinacci looked to have her second home run of the weekend, but Hope Howell made a diving catch up and over the center field wall to stop the Flames in the bottom of the sixth.
In the eighth, UIC failed to capitalize with the bases loaded, falling prey to a double play at first.
Once the affair remained tied and reached the 10th inning, the international tiebreaker rules went into effect, and each squad started the inning with a runner at second base.
Both teams easily drove in one run, entering the 11th tied at 4. With one down in the 11th, Illinois Katrina Ross sealed the game up with a three-run homer to left field. The Flames were unable to respond in the bottom of the inning.
Clynes picked up the loss, going 1-2 on the weekend.
The Flames return to action in Evanston in round robin action against the host Wildcats and Illinois State on October 4.
