April 3, 2011

Box Score

VALPARAISO, Ind. - A bevy of program records were re-set, including a four run, five RBI outing for Coryn Schmit in UIC softball's 17-6 victory over Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon.

"It was a great win to take the series against a solid team like Valpo," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "Coryn had a phenomenal weekend, and Mel P (Preish) got things started for us in the second. Hitting became contagious, and everyone hit the ball well."

Schmit would be only the seventh player in program history to score four runs in a single game, while the team matched program bests with 21 hits and seven doubles in a lone contest, initially set in 1998.

The Flames (12-14, 3-2 Horizon) would get one on the board right away in the first as Ashley Hewett would drive in Melinda Macias off a single for a quick 1-0 lead.

Valparaiso (21-12, 4-2 Horizon) would respond in kind with a two out solo homer shot over right centerfield wall of Valpo's park to knot things up at 1-1.

The second inning would open with Teresa Aguilar on at first, Preish, who would be making her first start in left this season took her ball for a ride amidst windy conditions for the first home run of her career to put the Flames ahead by two, 3-1.

After catcher Jordan Rutkowski would catch Christie Seddon stealing for second for the inning's first out, the Flames would go on a hitting spree, with doubles from Macias, Hewett, Jenna Marsalli, Natalie Hernandez and Aguilar, after the Flames batted through the order. Hewett would drive in a pair, as would Marsalli, who was then followed by a three-run homer from Schmit, who hit a pair of home runs in Saturday's win 4-1 win over the Crusaders.

All in all, the Flames plated nine runs in the second inning amidst the pair of homers and five doubles chasing both starting pitcher Sam McGee as well as Alex Lagesse in the process, leading 10-1 through two.

Strickland would strike again in the bottom of the third for VU with her second homer of the day with a runner on after a fielding error to cut into UIC's lead, trailing by seven.

With two outs in the fifth, the Flames returned to their happy hitting ways, putting up three runs courtesy an RBI single from Hernandez and Aguilar's second double of the day that brought in Schmit and Hernandez to extend UIC's lead back up to nine.

A trio of runs would come at the bat of KC Boldt who's two-out homer in the bottom of the fifth put Valpo back to trailing by seven.

The Flames would close things out with a homer of their own in the sixth as Coryn Schmit hit her fourth home run of the series with two on after Macias scored off a wild pitch for the eventual 11 run win.

Schmit would go 6-for-10 in the series, with four home runs, five runs and nine RBI. Devin Miller earned her sixth win of the year (6-10) whilst scattering nine hits and five earned runs.

"Our goal now is to take this momentum into this coming week, starting with Loyola on Wednesday," said Venturella.

The Flames will now host the four Horizon League series from the friendly confines of Flames Field, beginning with a visit from city foe Loyola for a midweek matchup, beginning with a doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 3 p.m.