Box Score 

VALPARAISO, Ind. - The UIC softball team (17-15, 8-3 HL) could not hang on to a 4-0 lead as Valparaiso (9-27, 3-8 HL) went on to score nine unanswered runs for the 9-4 win on Sunday at the VU Softball Field. The loss ended a seven-game win streak for the Flames and moved them into a tie for second place in the Horizon League standings alongside Wright State with an 8-3 record.

"We knew today would be a battle against a strong offensive Valpo team and we simply did not match their effort," head coach Michelle Venturella said. "We needed to be sharper on defense, which will keep us in every game. I have faith that our team learned from today and will come back strong against Youngstown State."

UIC tallied 10 hits in the game, marking their third-consecutive double-digit output, with five coming in the first inning. Tiana Mack-Miller, Kaleigh Nagle, Amanda Mener and Laura Swan each had two tallies, as Mener (2), Nagle (1) and Paige Peterson (1) collected the Flames' RBI.

Bridget Boyle started her 13th game of the year in the circle and pitched 3.1 innings while giving up four hits, three walks and seven runs, six earned. Elaine Heflin entered to finish the game while allowing five hits, two runs, three walks and striking out four.

In the first, UIC jumped out to a 3-0 lead after Mack-Miller, Nagle, Peterson and Mener singled in order with Polites already on base to bring three across the plate. The Flames put up another run in the third as Nagle hit her fourth double of the year, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Mener.

Valpo scored seven across the third and fourth innings to jump away from UIC. In the third, Brenna Boyle struck with an RBI double and Kaitlyn Ranieri picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice before Jorgi Calombaris hit a three-run home run. The following frame brought two in as Taylor Lawson hit an RBI double and Stephanie Moreno scored one on a single.

Two more runs were scored for the Crusaders in the sixth as Calombaris tripled to plate the two base runners.

The Flames will return home as they are set to host Youngstown State in a three-game set at Flames Field. The series opener will get underway on Friday at 3 p.m. CT, with a doubleheader to follow on Saturday at noon.