Feb. 15, 2009

Cal St. Bakersfield Box Score
Loyola Marymount Box Score

LOS ANGELES - The UIC softball team closed out the Loyola Marymount Invitational on Sunday afternoon, falling to Cal State Bakersfield and Loyola Marymount.

The Flames (1-7, 0-0 Horizon) head to Orlando, Fla. next weekend for the UCF Invitational on February 20-22.

Game One: Cal St. Bakersfield 10, UIC 3
After giving up a run in the second, the Flames claimed their lone lead of the morning contest against the Roadrunners in the fourth inning.

Carly DeMarco opened the inning with a single, and promptly successfully stole second. The sophomore is now a perfect five-for-five in stolen bases on the season, matching her freshman year total with her efforts against CSUB.

The next batter, Melissa Marinacci, reached on an error by the first baseman, which allowed DeMarco to score.

Brooke Frydendall picked up the Flames lone RBI of the contest with a center-field double that drove in Marinacci to give UIC a one-run cushion.

The Flames were unable to relish the lead for long, however, with a pair of UIC errors and three hits leading to CSUB putting forth a six-run performance in the bottom of the inning.

Christie Seddon would cut the Roadrunner's lead to four in the fifth, when a dropped fly ball by the center fielder let the sophomore score all the way from first.

CSUB would cease any more Flames scoring, holding UIC hitless in the game's final three frames, and scoring a trio of runs in the sixth for the 10-3 final.

Throwing a complete game, freshman ace Ashley Hewett struck out four, surrendered 13 hits and picked up 10 runs in the morning outing.

Game Two: Loyola Marymount 13, UIC 4 (Five Innings)
Sarah Clynes, who had been silent offensively in the weekend's previous three contests, opened up the second game of the day against LMU with her second home run of the season to give the Flames the lead. Three batters later, Ashley Hewett's single drove in Brooke Frydendall for a two-run lead.

LMU answered in the bottom of the inning, putting up three of their own to take the lead for the host Lions. The next two innings would see both squads trade runs back and forth, with Loyola taking a two-run lead into fourth.

After Stephanie Chavez opened up the fourth with a single up the middle, the Flames were unable to create any other offense before the Lions stepped up to bat.

Loyola would score seven runs in the fourth off of five hits and a UIC error, predominantly off of singles to the outfield.

The Flames could not get any of the runs back in the fifth, with Alicia Abbott grabbing the lone hit of the inning, before the game came to a close due to the tournament run-rule being in effect.