May 15, 2011

Box Score

CHICAGO - Despite numerous rain delays over the span of two days, the UIC softball team utilized outstanding pitching and a four-run fourth inning to claim the 2011 Horizon League Softball Tournament Crown on Sunday afternoon at Loyola Softball Park.

With the win, the Flames (25-22) receive the league's automatic berth into next week's NCAA tournament. The full field and regional sites will be announced at 9 p.m. Sunday evening.

After a 1-0 loss in the initial championship contest, the winner-take-all contest began with the Bulldogs jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an RBI single from hurler Jenny Esparza, driving in Meaghan Sullivan.

Erin Falkenberry would extend Butler's lead to two with a two-out solo shot over a blustery center field in the top of the third, but the Flames would respond in the bottom of the frame.

With Carly DeMarco opening UIC's third with a walk, Natalie Hernandez would sacrifice bunt the senior over to second. After Ashley Hewett was intentionally walked for the second time in the contest, Jenna Marsalli would get the Flames on the board with a grounder past the reach of Butler's thirdbaseman Lauren Ott reach and into left field, allowing DeMarco to return home easily for a 2-1 Bulldog lead.

Butler would open the fourth with a double out to left from Jessica Huey, but would feature the strength of the Flames infield defense as Marsalli and Hernandez connected on three consecutive force-outs at third to close out the inning unscathed.

Teresa Aguilar would get things going for UIC in the fourth with a single out to left, and was concurrently moved to second with a infield single from senior Christie Seddon. DeMarco would subsequently be walked with one out, moving Aguilar to scoring position. Esparza, who had been sharp all day, would walk the following two batters in Aguilar and Seddon, for a tie 2-2 ballgame.

With Esparza having nowhere to put Hewett after walking the junior slugger in her previous two plate appearances, Butler's hurler was forced to pitch to Hewett, who drove in DeMarco and Coryn Schmit to give the Flames the lead at 5-2.

While the day had been filled with a drifting mist all afternoon, the umpires ceased play at this point, which would not be concluded on Saturday.

Once play concluded on Sunday morning, the Flames were unable to close out the suspended fourth with any other scoring.

Butler would step to the plate for the first time in nearly 13 hours, the Bulldogs would load things up in the top of the fifth, but a looking strike and an infield putout would close out the inning with three stranded for Butler.

After the Flames were unable to pad their lead in the bottom of the fifth, rains returned to Loyola's Softball Park and play was suspended for nearly three hours.

Butler would return to the plate in the top of the sixth and Alyssa Coleman would take her first pitch for a ride over center field to cut the Flames deficit to two, 5-3, but Miller would close out the contest with three more strikes and a popup to close out the contest, and the Flames first league title since 2004.

The Flames were awarded for their efforts all week after the conclusion of the victory, as Hewett was named the tournament's batting champion as well as tournament MVP. Miller was named the tournament pitcher, joining teammates Hernandez, DeMarco, Schmit and Hewett as members of the all tournament team.

ALL TOURNAMENT AWARDS
Batting Champion: Ashley Hewett
Defensive Player of the Championship: Sadie Connor, Valparaiso
Pitcher of the Tournament: Devin Miller
All Tournament Team
Tess Sito, CSU
Sadie Connor, Sarah Strickland, Valparaiso
Jenny Esparza, Jessica Huey, Erin Jackson Butler
Devin Miller, Natalie Hernandez, Carly DeMarco, Coryn Schmit, Ashley Hewett (MVP), UIC