March 25, 2009

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ST. LOUIS - The UIC softball team capitalized on a three-run fifth inning to hold off host Saint Louis, 4-3, in the first contest of the day, but were unable to pull off a comeback in game two, falling to the Billikens, 4-2 on Wednesday afternoon.

"We definitely saw some good things over the past two days that will prepare us for league play," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "We are striving to be consistent in all areas of the game, but continue to improve each day."

UIC (9-19, 3-0 Horizon) returns to Horizon League play with a weekend series on the road at Valparaiso, starting with a double-header on Saturday at 12 p.m.

Game One: UIC 4, St. Louis 3
Both sides went scoreless through three innings in the opening game of the doubleheader, with the Billikens jumping ahead off of first basemen Katie John's fielders choice that drove in Rachel Heet, who advanced to third off a bouncing triple to center field in the bottom of the fourth.

The Flames answered right back and then some in the fifth, starting with singles from freshman Shannon Kehr and Ashley Hewett.

Christie Seddon's sacrifice hit to first advanced the pair to second and third, and Carly DeMarco's single towards the shortstop drove Kehr home to even things up.

Sarah Clynes, playing just minutes from her hometown of Florissant, Mo., drilled a home run over the right center-field, her third of the season, to give the Flames the 3-1 lead.

DeMarco would score a run in the top of the seventh, after reaching on a one-out single. Two batters later, Melinda Macias' left center-field double drove in UIC's final run.

St. Louis would not go away, however, scoring one in the sixth and another with one out in the seventh. With Bilikens on all bases, a 523 double-play started by third-basement Kelsey Sturgeon closed out the game in the Flames favor.

Macias led the Flames with a 3-for-4 outing with an RBI, while Hewett picked up her third win of the season (3-7), striking out six and scattering five hits in her fourth complete game in her freshman season.

Game Two: St. Louis 4, UIC 2
Just like in game one, game two remained a scoreless affair through three innings, when the Flames would score first in the fourth.

As Stephanie Chavez was heading for third off her deep right center-field triple, the shortstop's cutoff throw took a funny bounce and landed in the third-base dugout, allowing Chavez to to go home off the throwing error.

The Billikens answered back in the bottom of the inning, driving in four runs off of three well placed outfield hits and a pair of infield sacrifice hits.

The Flames put forth a strong effort for a comeback in the seventh, starting with Kehr's one-out double and a subsequent passed ball advancing the freshman to third.

Hewett's single would bring Kehr home to bring UIC within two, but that would be all they would get out of the inning.

Clynes would strike out three in three innings in the loss (1-10), and Hewett would strike out a pair in three innings of relief, where she kept the Billikins at bay for the remainder of the contest.