Sept. 20, 2011

CHICAGO -The UIC softball team defeated Wisconsin in a 12-9 decision, followed by shutting out Heartland, 5-0 Saturday at the Flames Field in Chicago.

"This was a solid beginning to our fall season," head coach Michelle Venturellasaid. "Everyone had a chance to play and contribute to both wins. It was great to see Ashley [] set the tone for us in the game against Wisconsin. Offensively, we stayed aggressive by putting the ball in play, which created a lot of opportunities for us throughout the day. That kind of offense always allows the defense to relax and play. We have some things to work on, but we are off to a great start."

The Flames totaled 15 hits during the match up with the Badgers. Sophomore Courtney Heeley (Glendale, Ariz./Greenway), juniors Melissa Preish (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake), Teresa Aguilar (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) and Kara Komp(Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) logged multiple hits in the game. UIC added at least one run in each inning.

Senior Ashley Hewett (La Palma, Calif./John F. Kennedy) was on the mound for the Flames and set the tone for the 12-9 victory, while Devin Miller(Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) entered the game in the fifth inning to add two strikeouts.

Miller returned to the mound in the second game against Heartland. The junior struck out seven batters in four innings. Hewett finished off the game with five strikeouts in the final three innings, which propelled the squad to a 5-0 victory.

The Flames return to action in search of their second win over a Big Ten opponent, in a doubleheader against Northwestern Friday. The first game is slated to begin at 5:00 p.m. (CT) with the second game set for a 7:00 p.m. start.