April 17, 2011

Game One Box Score
Box Score

CHICAGO - An offensive onslaught in the second inning of the opener was followed by a career-best pitching performance from Devin Miller in the UIC softball team's doubleheader sweep against visiting Detroit on Sunday afternoon.

After nature thwarted the Flames (18-17, 8-5 Horizon) efforts of play on Saturday, UIC came out and scored right off the bat in the first of the opener when Ashley Hewett would drive in Melinda Macias, who started the game off with the first of three doubles in the contest.

But UIC really piled things on in the second, batting around the order with a quartet of hits translating into five runs for the home team.

After Courtney Heeley opened the inning with a well-placed bunt single, the freshman would score from second off a double right down the left field line from Christie Seddon for the second run of the game.

After Seddon scored amidst a missed out attempt from the Titans infield, Coryn Schmit would have both Macias and Carly DeMarco on base prior to belting her team-leading eighth home run of the year for a six-run lead.

Hewett would also handle the Titans (5-25, 0-11 Horizon) from the circle, fanning six in the first three innings. Detroit would make things interesting, scoring four in the third courtesy a pair of hits, an infield miscue and a hit by pitch for a 6-4 Flames lead.

Upon relieving Hewett in the fourth, Miller would begin her day of dominance in the circle, allowing two hits while striking out nine to clamp down on Detroit's opportunities. The sophomore hurler reached a career milestone upon striking out the side in the sixth as the third out marked Miller's 300th-career strikeout through a little under two seasons of play.

The Flames final run of the day would fall well beyond the centerfield wall courtesy of Jenna Marsalli's fifth-inning blast for the eventual 7-4 score.

"Our offense came out strongly in the first game," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "Starting a day out like that is always good to see."

Not content with the offensive production on the visitor's side, Miller would throw a brilliant game in the nightcap, fanning a career-best 13 in a three-hitter shutout for UIC.

Marsalli would put the Flames on the board in the first when her sac fly out to right field would give Macias enough time to reach home safely from first for a 1-0 lead.

The Flames' lead continued its growth in the second when Teresa Aguilar opened the inning with a double out to left. A sacrifice bunt from Melissa Preish moved UIC's catcher to third and would allow the sophomore to score amidst an infield error for a two-run lead for the Flames.

UIC's final run came from pinch hitter Jacki Fletcher, who would drive in Aguilar from second in the fourth off an RBI single out to left center for the ultimate three-run cushion of victory.

I would have liked to have seen more production at the plate in the second game but it was still to come away with the victory."

"Devin really came out and set the tone for us in the second game today," said Venturella. "She had a solid day all-around."

The Flames will close out the home portion of the regular season schedule this week, beginning with a single contest from visiting Northwestern on Wednesday. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. The weekend will conclude with a three-game series against league foe Cleveland State with a Friday doubleheader followed by a senior day single game sendoff on Saturday at 12 p.m.