April 2, 2010

Box Score

CLEVELAND - The UIC softball team made a statement in their Horizon League opening contest, dominating the first game against Cleveland State on Friday afternoon with a 12-0 six inning victory at Viking Field.

The Flames (8-23, 1-1 Horizon) would play unlucky loser in the nightcap as a walk-off homer allowed the host Vikings (20-8, 1-1 Horizon) to split the doubleheader.

"Devin and Coryn did a great job this afternoon," said head coach Michelle Venturella in regards to her freshmen battery this afternoon. "As a team, as a whole, we successfully executed aspects of our game today that we've talked about in practice. We wanted to control the game and we did. Pitching was strong, defense did their job and our offense made a statement when they switched pitchers in the opening game."

The three-game series wraps up on Saturday with a 11 a.m. CST finale.

Game One: UIC 12, Cleveland State 0 (Six Innings)

Both teams stayed quiet in the first two innings in the league lid-lifter for each squad, until the Flames struck first in the third.

With two outs, Melinda Macias and Stephanie Chavez knocked back-to-back solo homers off two-time Horizon League pitcher of the year, Amanda Macenko for a two-run lead.

After a runless fourth, the Flames put their stamp on the opening contest as Coryn Schmit drove her first career home run over the right field wall for a 3-0 lead.

One out and a runner at second, Macias and Chavez would mimic each other once again with consecutive right-centerfield doubles, with Macias driving in Christie Seddon and Chavez bringing Macias home.

Macais' double would chase Macenko from the game, the first of three hurlers the Vikings would place in the circle. A RBI single straight up the middle from Ashley Hewett would give UIC a five run cushion going into the sixth, where the Flames would define breaking a game open.

With no answer from the Vikings in the bottom of the fifth, the Flames would score six off of five singles for a 12-0 contest in the sixth.

CSU would strand four throughout and UIC's Devin Miller would strike out eight in her first one-hitter win of the season.

Game Two: Cleveland State 4, UIC 3
The Vikings would strike first in game two with a triple from centerfielder Jessica Burt, who would score on her own play with a throwing error from the Flames outfield.

The fourth inning would be marked by impressive defense from UIC outfielders Hewett and Carly DeMarco, as Hewett would make a lunging get over the left field foul line and DeMarco would get the second out of the inning off a running snowcone grab in deep centerfield. Both outs would be crucial as starting pitcher Tess Sito would sail a solo home run right over the centerfield wall for a two-run Vikings lead.

Kelsey Sturgeon opened the fifth inning with a four-ball walk, and pinch runner Kara Komp would move over to second on a sacrifice bunt from Seddon.

Akin to the opening contest, Macias and Chavez would level the contest at 2-2 with a single that brought Komp home and Chavez's third two-bagger of the season would allow Macias to score uncontested.

A left centerfield double from Hewett would get things going for the Flames in the sixth. An infield putout would move Hewett to second, and DeMarco would place one right out of reach of the Viking's firstbasemen along the right field line to drive Hewett home for UIC's first lead of the contest.

But the Vikings wouldn't leave their first home contest of the season so easily, tying things up in the bottom of the inning off a pair of singles with the assistance of two wild pitches and a passed ball.

The Flames would reach scoring position in the seventh as Macias reached second after being hit by a pitch and Chavez would knock a single into centerfield. But Macenko would make her first appearance in the nightcap, fanning a pair to take the game into walk-off territory for the host team.

After a popout and an infield putout put CSU down to its final out, the Vikings made the most of it when catcher Amy Powell would play hero, jacking her first pitch off the left field foul pole for the 4-3 walk off victory.

Macias would have a banner day, going 6-for-7 with three RBI and four runs, while Miller would fan 14, giving up eight hits and four runs.