April 11, 2010

Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS - A heroic rally in the seventh inning by the UIC softball team would force the series finale at Butler into extra innings, but the Flames would ultimately fall 3-2 in the 10th on Sunday afternoon at Butler Softball Park.

Butler would jump out to a one-run lead in the second off of a pair of hits with an RBI double from second basemen Meaghan Sullivan driving in Erin Falkenberry.

UIC responded in the top of the third as Melinda Macias would get things started with a two-out single up the middle. Stephanie Chavez's walk would move Macias to scoring position, and an outfield RBI single from Brooke Frydendall brought Macias home for a tie game.

The Bulldogs had a hit-heavy bottom of the frame as three singles and a well-placed bunt from Annie Dolan gave Butler a 2-1 lead. Starting pitcher Ashley Hewett would be relieved by Devin Miller, who closed out the inning without any more damage done.

The freshman ace Miller would limit Butler to a mere three hits from the fourth through sixth innings to keep the Flames in contention, and the visitors would finally strike in the seventh.

With one out in the final inning of regulation play, Macias would reach after Bulldogs pitcher Jenny Esparza hit her with a pitch, the first of such in the contest. Chavez would move Macias over with her second walk of the day, and like clockwork, Frydendall would bring the tying run in with a single perfectly along the right field line.

Miller would not allow Butler to win in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh, sitting the final two batters down with swinging strikes to move the game into extra innings.

With nothing going on for either side in the eighth, UIC would open the ninth with an outfield single from Macias. But back-to-back foul territory nabs by Dolan would strand Macias and close out the Flames' chances. The Bulldogs' Sullivan would move all the way over to third after a double and a wild pitch opened the bottom of the ninth, but an infield popup and two more strikeouts from Miller moved the game to the 10th, the Flames longest of the season.

Coryn Schmit would reach first after an infield error and move to second after a successful sac bunt from Carly DeMarco was laid down the first base side, but the Flames were hindered by Esparza, who would strike out the final two batters for her 16th and 17th strikeouts of the game.

Butler would open the 10th with consecutive singles followed by a sac bunt from Falkenberry to move Dolan over to third. Dolan would then close out the game after scoring off a wild pitch.

With the loss, the Flames move to 9-26 overall and 2-4 in Horizon League play.

UIC returns to the Windy City this week, beginning with a single game at Loyola on Tuesday at 4 p.m. CST.