ROSEMONT, Ill. - The UIC softball team (1-1) concluded its first day of competition at the Total Control Sports Invitational on Friday at the Dome. The Flames suffered a 10-1 (5) loss in their first game against Syracuse, but bounced back with a 4-1 win against North Dakota.

"I was happy to see us come back strong after our first game today," head coach Michelle Venturella said. "Our quality at-bats were much better in the second game and it was great to see Karissa (Frazier) and Erica (Hampton) doing such a good job of controlling their hitters. The team really spread out the offense and we had a lot of people that came through in a lot of different situations, which is one of the keys for us. We're looking forward to continuing what we learned from that game into tomorrow's competition."

Through the two games, sophomore Kaleigh Nagle (3-for-6) and seniors Erica Hampton (3-for-6) and Eleni Polites (2-for-4) produced a .500 batting average, as senior Paige Peterson notched three hits and hit .429. UIC combined for a .354 (17 hits) average on the day against its opponents' .308.

Syracuse 10, UIC 1 (5) Box Score
The Flames were unable to overcome an 8-0 deficit that Syracuse acquired after the first two innings as the Orange added two more runs in the fifth. Syracuse tallied 10 hits, while UIC was limited to five.

With two on and two outs in the first, the Orange scored their first run on an error committed by the Flames before holding UIC without a hit in the bottom of the frame.

Syracuse then broke away in the second inning as it tallied five hits and plated seven. A leadoff single and a walk were followed by a triple by Maddi Doane, who went 3-for-3 on the day, to bring in both runners. A fielder's choice and a walk loaded the bases, allowing five runs to score on a sequence of a hit by pitch, a walk and three-consecutive singles.

Hampton produced the Flames first hit with a single in the second, but it was in the third that UIC scored its run. Junior LaRi Mitchell singled and then stole second before Peterson singled out to left-center and Mitchell rounded the bases to score.

In the fifth, the Orange put runners at first and second with a single and a walk, setting up Julie Wambold with a double to score the final runs.

Sophomore Elaine Heflin started on the mound for UIC and pitched two innings before junior Bridget Boyle came on in relief and held Syracuse to three hits with three strikeouts. The Orange's Sydney O'Hara pitched the complete five innings, allowed one walk and struck out four batters.

UIC 4, North Dakota 1 Box Score
The Flames came out swinging against North Dakota to total 12 hits with at least one in each inning. Peterson, Hampton, Nagle and Polites all posted two hits, with Polites going a perfect 2-for-2 with a sac bunt and RBI added to her stat line.

UIC held UND to two hits in the first three innings, and it was in the bottom of the third frame that the Flames were able to plate their first run. Peterson singled for the second time in the game, advanced to second on a passed ball and then came in to score on a stand-up double by freshman Tiana Mack-Miller.

North Dakota came in to tie it in the fourth when a UIC error and back-to-back singles loaded the bases. Maria Dendinger then reached on an error to bring in UND's lone run of the game.

Nagle and sophomore Rachel May led off the bottom of the fourth with a pair of singles and each advanced a base on a sac bunt by Polites, putting Nagle in a position to score on a wild pitch.

It was three up, three down for UND in the fifth, while the Flames added another run. With runners at first and third, May was intentionally walked to load the bases and bring up Polites, who came through with an RBI single to left.

North Dakota came close to scoring in the sixth when with two outs, Taylor Hansen and Dendinger doubled, but Hansen was called out at home on a throw from Mitchell in left to Mack-Miller to an awaiting Hampton, who applied the tag.

UIC had its final run come in the sixth, as Mitchell singled, stole second and came around the bases on a single to center by junior Laura Swan.

Freshmen Karissa Frazier had a stellar performance in her first collegiate game on the mound. She pitched a complete 7.0 innings, allowed six hits, walked two and retired seven batters while holding her opponents to a .222 batting average.

The Flames are back at the Dome on Saturday when they face Miami (Oh) at 4:30 p.m. CT and Butler at 7 p.m. CT.