Box Score Feb. 20, 2011
Box Score
ORLANDO, Fla. - The UIC softball team closed out the UCF Invitational on Sunday morning with a resounding 8-0 victory over Delaware.
The Flames (5-5) bounced back after a pair of close losses to Miami and Notre Dame on Saturday, breaking a three-game losing skid in the process.
It was definitely good to end on a win," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "And really have a strong offensive performance all the way through the lineup."
The game opened with both teams cloaked in a dense fog that had rolled into the Orlando area during the early morning hours, leaving the outfielders barely visible at the contest's commencement.
The Flames would continue their defensive prowess from the get-go, turning a 643 double play in the first inning.
On the offensive side of the ball, UIC struck in the bottom of the frame as Melinda Macias and Natalie Hernadez would score amidst Shannon Kehr's right field single that dropped in between the Blue Hen's second baseman, center and right outfielder under the haze of the fog for a 2-0 lead.
Coryn Schmit would score in the second, reaching first on a five-pitch walk and moving over to second on a well-placed sac bunt by Christie Seddon. Macias would unload her first of two doubles on the day, driving in Schmit to extend the Flames lead to three.
But UIC would not stop at that point, cracking the game wide open in the third. A pair of hits and two errors would convert into five runs for the Flames, as 2 RBI doubles from both Schmit and Macias would extend the lead to 8-0.
The Flames would flummox any opportunities Delaware presented, most noticeably in the third when leadoff hitter Jenny Richards would reach with a double and move over to third before Devin Miller closed out the inning with the third of her season-best six strikeouts on the morning.
Miller would give up a scant three hits in her second win of the year.
"Were excited to have a chance to go back and work on the things we know we need to. The competition is only going to get stronger from this point forward, and its been good to get out the past two weeks and to see where were at and what we need to work on."
The Flames will be off next weekend, returning to action in Oklahoma on March 4-6. UIC begins its whirlwind tour with a 7 p.m. contest at Oklahoma State in Stillwater before traveling to Oklahoma City for a pair of contests at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium on Saturday for games against Auburn (10:00 a.m. and Oklahoma (3:30 p.m.). Sunday's contest takes the Flames down to Norman for an 11:30 a.m. single game against Oklahoma to wrap up the weekend.
