CLEARWATER, Fla. - The UIC softball team (6-7) dropped its final two games on Sunday at the USF Under Armour Invitational. The Flames were edged in their first contest against Villanova, 3-1, before falling in six innings to Maine, 8-0.

Through the pair of games, UIC was held to eight hits while its opponents tallied a total of 16. Senior Eleni Polites went 3-for-5 (.600) and junior Laura Swan each had two hits (.400). Sophomore Kaleigh Nagle picked up the Flames' lone RBI.

Villanova 3, UIC 1 Box Score

A pair of runs scored by Villanova in the first inning proved to be enough for the 3-1 win over UIC. The Wildcats took a 7-5 hit advantage over the Flames, with freshman Taylor Cairns, senior Paige Peterson, Swan, freshman Tiana Mack-Miller and Polites collecting UIC's efforts.

Villanova put a pair on the board in its first round at bat. The first two batters doubled and reached on a fielder's choice before each advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt. Dana Morris then hit a blooper into shallow left center to bring in two.

With runners at the corners in the top of the second for the Wildcats, Shea Palmer singled to load the bases and Brittany Husk hit a sacrifice fly to score the third run of the game.

The Flames were held off base in three innings before attempting their rally in the sixth. Cairns and Peterson hit back-to-back singles to open the frame and Swan drew a walk to load the bases. The first out followed, but sophomore Kaleigh Nagle came through with a sacrifice fly to score Peterson for UIC's lone run of the game.

Sophomore Elaine Heflin received the start and pitched two innings, allowed four hits and earned three runs. Junior Bridget Boyle came on in relief to start the third, held Villanova to three hits and off base for three innings, and picked up three strikeouts. The Wildcats' Kate Poppe pitched the complete game and struck out 12 UIC batters.

Maine 8, UIC 0 (6) Box Score

UIC was unable to answer Maine's eight runs as it fell in six innings. The Black Bears scored one run in the first inning and a combined seven in the final three to run-rule the Flames. Maine produced nine hits, while UIC came away with three and was held off base in three innings.

The Black Bears first run came in the first after a single up the middle by Emj Fogel allowed the runner at second to come around and score. The Flames had a chance to score in the bottom of the inning after Peterson and Swan reached on a fielder's choice and single, respectively, but both were left on after advancing to second and third on a wild pitch.

UIC kept Maine at bay in the third when with a runner on and one out, Polites laid out in right to rob the Black Bears' Janelle Bouchard an extra-base hit and completed the double play with the putout at first. Polites picked up her first hit in the bottom of the frame with a leadoff single, but was stranded at third after three outs.

With two runners on for Maine in the fourth, Rachel Harvey reached on a Flames error and moved to second, pushing each runner two bases and one to score.

In the fifth, the Black Bears put four runs on the board. Harvey hit a two-run single with the bases loaded and Shelby Obert stepped to the plate in the next at-bat and hit a double to bring in two runners.

Maine then had one on following a walk in the sixth with two outs and Bouchard hit a home run to center, bringing the score to 8-0.

Freshman Karissa Frazier started her fifth game of the season in the circle, allowed seven hits, struck out four and earned five runs. Boyle came on in the middle of the fifth and gave up two hits and two runs before Frazier returned.

The Flames will break from competition before returning to Florida for the UCF Knights Spring Fling Tournament, March 13-15, in Orlando, Fla. UIC is set to face Butler, James Madison, Fairfield, UCF and Monmouth.