Box Score March 20, 2016 Box Score
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - With two outs in the top of the seventh, the UIC softball team (13-9) rallied to score three runs and capture a 7-6 victory over Michigan State (16-12) Sunday on the final day of competition at the Hoosier Classic at Andy Mohr Field.
"I am so pleased with the mental toughness this team continues to show," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "We continue to get better at playing pitch-to-pitch and that is encouraging. We knew coming into today that MSU was a good hitting team, but I think our pitchers did a nice job of managing them. We left too many people on base early, but continued to put pressure on until we got the job done. This was a nice team win."
The Flames posted a double-digit hit total for the sixth time this season as it tallied 12 on the day. Four players secured multi-hit games led by senior LaRi Mitchell (3), sophomore Taylor Cairns (2) and freshmen Claire Crane (2) and Lexi Watts (2). UIC additionally drew seven walks, with senior Laura Swan, sophomore Tiana Mack-Miller and Cairns earning two apiece.
Over the first three innings, the Flames left six runners on base after Watts singled in the first and third, freshman Skylee James and Crane singled in the second and walks were handed out to Cairns and James in the second and third, respectively. Watts also had two stolen bases, bringing her season total to 15 and tying for 10th for most in a single season in program history.
After being held off base in the first two innings, Michigan State came out in the third to take a 5-0 lead. An error committed by UIC put the leadoff batter at second before coming in on a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly. A sequence of a double, single, double, hit by pitch and double would bring in the other four runs.
The Flames were able to respond and bring the score to 5-4 in their next round at the plate. Crane led off with a single to mark her first-career multi-hit game and then moved up to second as junior Savannah Soppet came in to pinch hit and singled to right. Cairns stepped to the plate and doubled for her first extra-base hit of the season to bring in Crane.
Mitchell reached on an infield single, scoring Soppet, and Cairns came in on the play as MSU committed an error. Three-consecutive walks followed for Swan, Mack-Miller and James, as James picked up the RBI on her free base to walk in Mitchell but the bases were then left loaded.
Down 5-4 with two outs in the seventh, Cairns got things started by drawing her second walk of the game. Mitchell then matched her career high with her third hit on a single before moving up a base with Cairns on a wild pitch. With Watts at the plate, the ball was put in play and MSU committed an error that brought in Cairns. Swan then stepped the plate and doubled to right field to score both runners for the 7-5 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, the Spartans threatened as they came within one following a walk, fielder's choice and back-to-back singles. Two runners were left stranded and as consecutive outs followed.
Redshirt-junior Alice Fitzpatrick received her fifth start of the season and pitched 3.0 innings while giving up just one hit and striking out one. Senior Bridget Boyle entered with two outs in the third and gave up three hits before Fitzpatrick reentered for the final out. Junior Elaine Heflin started in the bottom of the fourth and finished the game as she picked up her seventh win while striking out two, walking one and allowing four hits.
The Flames are back in action on Monday when they head to Indianapolis to take on IUPUI at the IUPUI Softball Complex at 2 p.m. CT.
