Feb. 13, 2011

Box Score

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The UIC softball team was unable to extend their winning ways to close out the weekend, falling to Mississippi State, 5-3, to close out the Sportco Kickoff Classic in Las Vegas Sunday morning.

The Flames (3-2) would score in the first inning for the first time this season as Jenna Marsalli would sail an RBI single past first baseman Courtney Nesbit, bringing Carly DeMarco on home from second to put UIC ahead, 1-0.

But the Bulldogs (1-3), serving as the home team in the final game of the tournament, responded in kind when shortstop Heidi Shape pulled a single past the grasp of Natalie Hernandez at short and drove in a pair to put MSU up, 2-1.

With two outs in the third, Marsalli would reach on a four-ball walk and advance over to third courtesy a single from Coryn Schmit. Hernandez, who drove in five RBIs in the Flames pair of victories on Saturday, drove in Marsalli with a deep right field single to tie things up at 2-2.

MSU would answer back in the bottom of the frame and again in the fourth off back to back singles from the bottom of the Bulldogs' lineup to go ahead by a pair. Devin Miller would prevent any more offensive opportunities with consecutive swinging strikeouts to close out the fourth with a 4-2 deficit.

Three more hits would lead to another MSU run in the fifth for a three-run lead for the opposition, a game that saw the Flames strand nine runners throughout the contest, six in scoring position.

Devin Miller would hurl five strikeouts in the loss, surrendering 10 hits with four earned runs.

The Flames defeated the Bulldogs on Friday, as well as host UNLV and Cal-Riverside on Saturday.

UIC returns to warmer locales next weekend for the UCF Tournament, hosted by Central Florida in Orlando, Feb 18-20 where the Flames will face off against the likes of Delaware, the host Knights as well as Miami University and Notre Dame. Action kicks off against Delaware on Friday the 18th at 10:30 a.m. CST.