ROSEMONT, Ill. – The UIC softball team ended an impressive opening weekend on Sunday at the Total Control Sports Invitational with a 10-0 five-inning shutout win over Butler to lock in the program's best start since 1996 with a 5-0 record, featuring three shutouts.
 
The Flames offense made it count as they racked up 10 hits with three apiece from Kayla Wedl and Lexi Watts, as Tiana Mack-Miller, Jasmine Willis, Taylor Cairns and Alice Fitzpatrick also added to the total. Of the runs scored, three were brought in by Savannah Soppet and Wedl collected two RBI.
 
Elaine Heflin threw the complete game as she earned her second shutout of the early season. She struck out six and allowed six hits in her 86-pitch outing.
 
After turning a double play to get out of a bases-loaded situation in the top of the first, UIC came out to score five runs for the 5-0 lead in the bottom half. Mack-Miller and Watts led off with back-to-back singles, with a Butler error putting Mack-Miller at third. As Watts stole second, the Bulldogs committed another error that scored Mack-Miller.
 
Willis doubled to left center to score Watts and Wedl followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Trying for a sacrifice bunt, Cairns was safe at first on an error with Wedl moving to third and Willis scoring. After Cairns stole second, Soppet turned the sacrifice fly to score Wedl and move Cairns to third. The final run came as Wetzel grounded out and Cairns came across the plate.
 
Another pair of runs scored in the third as Wedl led off with a double, moved to third on an infield single for Cairns and scored on another sacrifice fly from Soppet. Cairns then stole second and scored the second run when Fitzpatrick singled to center.
 
The offense kept it up in the fourth when Mack-Miller walked and Watts singled, with both moving up a base on another Butler error. The two then both came in on Wedl's second double of the game, as she scored the final run after advancing on a wild pitch and sliding in on a ground out for Soppet.
 
The Flames are back in action next weekend when they make their first trip of the season to Mount Pleasant, S.C., to compete in the College of Charleston Cougar Classic (Feb. 17-18). Over the course of two days, UIC will be faced with Monmouth, Lipscomb, Winthrop and Eastern Kentucky.