Box Score March 28, 2010
Box Score
CHICAGO - The UIC softball team split a doubleheader with Western Illinois on Sunday afternoon, opening Flames Field with a 3-1 victory in the opening contest.
The Flames (7-21) will remain in the city, facing DePaul in Lincoln Park on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
GAME ONE: UIC 3, Western Illinois 1
With swirling winds gusting upwards of 30 miles per hour throughout the afternoon, the first contest was filled with errors as each team tallied three in the 2010 Flames Field opener.
WIU put up a run in the first off of one hit as Julie DePolo opened the game with an infield single, advancing to second off a throwing error by Christie Seddon. A wild pitch would move DePolo to third and a sacrifice fly out to left field would put the Leathernecks ahead by one.
UIC's chances were limited, stranding six in the first four frames. But Shannon Kehr would strike with a two-out homer directly over center field, driving in three runs for the final score of the game.
"I'm really pleased with how Shannon stepped up in the game," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "It's very exciting to be playing in front of our fans for the first time this season."
GAME TWO: Western Illinois 6, UIC 3
Western Illinois broke a 3-3 tie by scoring the go-ahead run in the fourth and two insurance runs in the seventh to salvage a double-header split by taking Sunday's nightcap, 6-3.
Brooke Frydendall went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Flames scored first when Frydendall and Hewett had back-to-back RBI hits in the first inning.
WIU took the lead in the next half-inning by loading the bases with the first three hitters of the second. Starting pitcher Lori Pankratz drove in a run on a single to chase starter Whitney Orellana.
Devin Miller would come on in relief, and after inducing a popout, was greeted by DePolo with a two-run triple to right field that would put the Leathernecks ahead, 3-2.
UIC would tie the game up in the third after a bases-loaded error by outfielder Sandy Moore on a ball hit by Hewett.
Western broke the 3-3 tie in the fourth when Nikki Marinec led off the inning with a double, advancing to third on an error. Kelsey Michelini would hit an infield single to drive the go-ahead run in for a 4-3 WIU lead.
UIC threatened by putting two on with two out in the sixth, but an infield groundout would thwart any Flames chances before the seventh.
Two insurance runs in the top of the seventh would cap off Western's offensive output, and the Flames were unable to respond to close out the nightcap with a 6-3 defeat.
