Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 March 4, 2016 Box Score
SAN DIEGO - It took eight innings in each of the UIC softball team's (9-8) games on Friday for a winner to be decided, and it was the Flames to come out victorious in each of the contests on day one of the San Diego Classic. UIC first rallied back to walk off with a 9-8 win against Utah Valley (4-14) and then ousted San Diego (7-9) with a 5-2 victory at the USD Softball Complex.
"It was nice to come away with two wins against good opponents," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "We did a nice job on the mound in both games and we had the timely hitting we needed. We have been in a lot of tight games, which has given our team the chance to work on our composure and learn how to finish games."
The Flames combined for 18 hits on the day while they limited their opponents to 14. Senior LaRi Mitchell and freshmen Lexi Watts and Skylee James each had three hits, while senior Dana Capocci and junior Kaleigh Nagle came up big for UIC with their two hits apiece that produced four and three RBI, respectively.
The Flames' pitching staff of redshirt-junior Alice Fitzpatrick, redshirt-freshman Karissa Frazier and junior Elaine Heflin continued to dominate, shutting down the Wolverines and holding them to a .230 batting average. The trio combined for 18 strikeouts, 10 of which were credited to Heflin to set a new career high.
UIC 9, UTAH VALLEY 8 (8)
UIC fought back from being down during two crucial times in the game to capture the win in walk-off fashion in extra innings. Capocci came up clutch for the Flames, producing two hits that brought in three runs, as Nagle was responsible for the game-winning run. Mitchell and freshman Emily Wetzel also had two hits in the game to contribute to the team's 10-hit total.
After Utah Valley scored two runs in the third off a two-RBI double, the Flames answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning as Mitchell and Watts each singled and stole a base before Mitchell was called safe at the plate on a fielder's choice for senior Laura Swan.
The Wolverines added a run to its total in the fourth as they registered three-straight singles with two outs. They then came up with a two-run homer by Kristy Snyder in the fifth to go up 5-1.
It was a big sixth inning for UIC as it collected six runs to go ahead 7-5. Nagle was hit by a pitch and Wetzel walked to lead off the frame and each advanced a pair of bases on wild pitches, with Nagle scoring. Sophomore Tiana Mack-Miller, who came in to pinch hit, and Mitchell drew back-to-back walks before sophomore Taylor Cairns walked in a run. Watts then reached on a UVU error that scored two runners before the remaining two runners came in on a two-out single to center by Capocci.
Utah Valley came back in the top of the seventh to equal out the score again at 7-7 as a fielder's choice, a walk and a wild pitch allowed the runners to score on a single that dropped down in shallow center.
The international tiebreaker went into effect heading into the eighth. The Wolverines positioned two players in scoring position off a double steal and then brought in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly.
In a last chance effort at the plate, Watts began the bottom of the eighth at second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Two outs followed before Capocci ripped her first-career triple to the right-field corner to score the equalizer. Working with a 3-2 count, Nagle sent a long ball over the center fielder's head to plate the game-winning run.
Fitzpatrick started in the circle and threw 4.2 innings with three strikeouts, three walks, seven hits and three-of-five earned runs. Frazier entered with a runner on and two outs in the fifth and went the final 3.1 to pick up her second win of the season as she struck out five, walked two and allowed just one hit.
UIC 5, SAN DIEGO 2 (8)
In a low scoring affair with San Diego, UIC came out to score four runs in the top of the eighth and hold off the Toreros the rest of the way for the win. Watts and James had two-hit outings for the Flames, with Nagle (2), Capocci and James earning RBI.
San Diego put up the first run of the game in the first inning when its leadoff batter singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and then scored following a pair of wild pitches.
UIC headed into the fourth and came out with the score tied at 1-1. With one out, Mack-Miller singled and moved up to second on a ground out before she rounded the bases to score on a single by James that was sliced down the right-field line.
The Toreros left three runners in scoring position across through seventh innings, with their best chance of walking off with the win in the bottom of the seventh when a runner doubled and then moved on a passed ball to third, where it would stay following a pair of strikeouts.
For the second-straight game, the Flames went to extra innings and took advantage of their opportunity in the top of the eighth. Watts led off with a bunt single and then was called safe on a fielder's choice that put Swan at first. Mack-Miller walked to load the bases and then Watts came in as Capocci was hit by a pitch. Swan was called safe at the plate on a fielder's choice for James before Nagle stepped to the plate and sailed the ball into center to score two.
San Diego made its final push in the bottom half and loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, single and walk. Following a strikeout, a single down the line in right field allowed one run to score, but a fielder's choice and a foul out left the bases loaded for the Toreros.
Heflin received the start and pitched her fifth complete game of the season as she picked up her fifth win. She powered through to set a career high in strikeouts with 10, surpassing her mark of nine set last season against Oakland, as she walked three and allowed only six hits.
The Flames will move sites for the remainder of the San Diego Classic as they prepare to face Portland State at 4 p.m. CT and San Diego State at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the SDSU Softball Stadium.
