Box Score 

CHICAGO - The UIC softball team (18-15, 9-3 HL) mustered up four runs in the sixth inning to post a come-from-behind 6-3 victory on Friday against Youngstown State (15-22, 5-7 HL) in the series opener at Flames Field.

"I thought our team did a great job of working the process today," head coach Michelle Venturella said. "We had quality at-bats by our offense and Elaine (Heflin) and Erica (Hampton) were on point. Dana (Capocci) was a huge spark for us in the sixth, which was great to see. We are very proud of today's effort."

Both teams were held under 10 hits apiece, while errors proved to be the problem on the day with the Penguins committing six and the Flames taking two. Paige Peterson and Amanda Mener each had two-hit efforts, with Peterson garnering two RBI that scored the game-winning run.

Elaine Heflin dealt her ninth complete game of the year while picking up her seventh victory and sixth in conference play. Heflin gave up seven hits while she struck out six and earned just one of YSU's three runs.

Youngstown State plated two runs in the first inning as Sarah Dowd singled, rounded third from second on a single by Miranda Castiglione, and scored after the ball was dropped on the tag at home. Castiglione then moved her way to third and scored on a single by Kayla Haslett.

UIC brought one run in with the bases loaded in the second as Eleni Polites reached on a Penguins error, allowing Mener to score after she led off with a single.

Each team gained a run in the third to put the score at 3-2. After Maria Lacatena hit an RBI triple in the top of the inning for the Penguins, Peterson singled and Laura Swan reached on a YSU error to set up Erica Hampton, who singled to score Peterson.

Following a scoreless fourth and fifth, the Flames broke out to plate the final runs of the game in the sixth that would boost them to victory. Dana Capocci came in to pinch hit to lead off the inning and singled up the middle. Polites and Tiana Mack-Miller then drew back-to-back walks before Kaleigh Nagle hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Peterson stepped to the plate in the next at-bat and singled to score two before coming across the dish on a single by Swan.

UIC returns to Flames Field on Saturday as it wraps up the series with a doubleheader at noon CT. The Flames will also hold their FLAMEingo Drive along with Lori Macias Day. The first 150 students will receive pink t-shirts.