Box Score Feb. 8, 2009
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - After being rained out all of Saturday, the Flames closed out the weekend with a double-header against Marshall on Sunday, falling in both games of the series to the Herd.
"We learned a lot from this first weekend out," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "We will build from this for next weekend [in Los Angeles] and for the rest of the season."
Game 1: Marshall 9, UIC 1
Freshman Ashley Hewett pulled double duty in game one, taking on the majority of pitching duties and got the Flames on the board with a deep center field single that drove home UIC's lone run of the morning session in a 9-1 loss to the Thundering Herd.
Marshall jumped out to a two-run lead after Caitlyn Jackson's double drove in a pair in the first inning. The Herd would proceed to score in every inning but the second, capitalizing off of four Flames errors throughout the contest.
Stephanie Chavez picked up a pair of hits, including one in the fourth that allowed Melissa Marinacci to move to second after being walked to start the inning.
An illegal pitch moved Marinacci and Chavez over into to scoring position, and Hewett's single drove in the Flames lone run of the game.
The Flames had an opportunity to put up some runs in the bottom of the first when Sarah Clynes moved all the way around to third and Chavez was in scoring position, but Hewett's attempt to bring Clynes home was caught to end the inning.
Game 2: Marshall 5, UIC 1
Things got off to a frustrating start for the Flames in game two, when Clynes' first pitch to Rachel Sofie went yard to give the Herd a one-run lead.
Offense was hard to come by throughout, with quick innings ending in flyouts and infield hits being contained by the squad in green and white.
Marshall would put three more runs on the board before the Flames capitalized on the Herd's lone error of the game in the fifth.
After being walked, Carly DeMarco successfully stole second and as she was in the midst of successfully stealing third, Marshall's catcher overthrew her second basemen, allowing the ball to roll all the way out to center field and let DeMarco come home, bringing the Flames to within three.
But Marshall's replacement pitcher, Autumn Mitchell, contained the Flames to a lone hit in the final two innings, and the Herd put another run on the board of their own in the sixth to close out the game.
Hewett took over in the circle for the game's final inning, picking up a pair of strikeouts for a total of three on the day.
The Flames closed out the Sportco Kick-off Classic with a 1-3 record to start the season after defeating Seton Hall and losing to UNLV on Friday afternoon.
"This team has tremendous potential, and we will continue to get better, one day at a time." said Venturella.
