Box Score Feb. 28, 2016 Box Score
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Senior Laura Swan stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on and blasted the ball out to center field to plate the game-winning run and give the UIC softball team (7-8) a 3-2 walkoff victory over UConn (3-11) Sunday at the SCU Softball Field. The win allowed the Flames to close out the SCU Invitational with a 3-2 record.
UIC tallied seven hits with multi-hit efforts from Swan and freshman Lexi Watts, who recorded her fourth multi-hit game of the weekend. Sophomore Taylor Cairns and seniors Dana Capocci and LaRi Mitchell also added to the total.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Watts came up and dropped a single into left field and then moved up to third on a double off the wall in left by Swan. Freshman Skylee James stepped to the plate and sent a fly ball into foul territory, allowing Watts to tag up and score.
UConn knotted the score at 1-1 in the second when it brought in its runner from first on a single to right center and a UIC error.
The top of the order put a pair on in the third when Cairns led off with a walk, stole second and went to third on a liner off the pitcher by Watts, who then stole second. Two outs came before Capocci stepped the plate and dropped an infield single to bring in Cairns.
The Flames had a chance to add to their total in the fourth, when freshman Emily Wetzel and Mitchell walked and Cairns singled, all with two outs, but the bases were left loaded.
The Huskies tied the score for a second time in the fifth as they led off with a double and the runner was able to score on a single and another UIC error.
Mitchell led off in the bottom of the seventh with a single into right and then advanced to third as Cairns went to lay down the sacrifice bunt but reached on a UConn error that put her on second. With two outs, Swan came up to bat and belted to ball into center field, allowing Mitchell to score the game-winning run.
Junior Elaine Heflin started her third game of the tournament and pitched five innings, struck out three, allowed no walks and gave up six hits while she did not earn a single run. Redshirt-freshman Karissa Frazier entered at the start of the sixth and picked up her first win of the season as she did not give up a hit and struck out three in two frames.
The Flames are back in California next weekend (March 4-6) for the San Diego Classic, co-hosted by San Diego and San Diego State. Action gets underway on Friday against Utah Valley.
