MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – The UIC softball team (6-1) captured a 7-2 victory over Monmouth (0-2) to open play at the Wyndham Garden Cougar Classic on Friday before it took its first loss of the season in a closely contested 1-0 decision with Lipscomb (4-3) at Patriots Point.
 
The Flames outhit their opponents, 15-9, on the day as Tiana Mack-Miller led the eight players who contributed to the total with five hits to mark a five-game hit streak. Mack-Miller also collected a RBI along with Lexi Watts (2), Savannah Soppet (2) and Jasmine Willis.
 
UIC will close out play in South Carolina on Saturday when it takes on Winthrop at 8 a.m. CT followed by Eastern Kentucky at 2:30 p.m.
 
UIC 7, Monmouth 2
 
UIC put runners on base in every inning as it turned out its fourth-straight 10-hit outing off 12 hits on its way to keeping its perfect record intact. Mack-Miller led the team with a career-high four hits as Willis also had two in the game. Six RBI were handed out with two apiece for Watts and Soppet, and one each for Mack-Miller and Willis.
 
Elaine Heflin went a scoreless five innings to maintain her perfect 0.00 earned-run average as she struck out six, allowed just three hits and did not give up a single walk while she hit two batters. Lindsay Melson entered the circle in the sixth and finished the game while she allowed two hits, one walk and two runs.
 
The Flames came out to load the bases in the top of the first but left the runners stranded. Mack-Miller and Willis both singled, Kayla Wedl reached on a fielder's choice and stole her second base of the year and Taylor Cairns walked.
 
It was a repeat in the second as the bases were loaded in order with a walk for Emily Wetzel, single for Alice Fitzpatrick and walk for Claire Crane, with the first run of the game coming in on a single for Mack-Miller. Watts then singled up the middle to bring in a pair for the 3-0 advantage.
 
The fourth inning added to UIC's lead as a walk for Willis, single for Wedl and Monmouth error putting Cairns at first loaded the bases. Soppet then singled up the middle to bring two across the plate to go up 5-0.
 
With one out in the sixth, Cairns singled then stole second and came around to score as Soppet reached on another error committed by the Hawks.
 
Monmouth worked up two runs in the bottom of the inning as a double by Nicole Wieczorek scored two runners who reached with a walk and a single.
 
The Flames continued their offensive production into the seventh as Mack-Miller led off with her fourth hit of the game, stole second, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Willis.
 
Lipscomb 1, UIC 0
 
In a game that featured just a combined seven hits, UIC could not come together to match and go ahead of Lipscomb. Mack-Miller, Watts and Wedl earned the three hits for the Flames as Soppet also reached base with a walk and May was hit by a pitch.
 
Karissa Frazier threw the complete game and allowed just four hits while she struck out three and walked two.
 
Lipscomb attempted to put the first run of the game on the board in the first inning as a hit by pitch and single put two on with the runner stealing third and then attempting a double steal with the second out coming at home plate. The Flames committed an error with what would have been the third out but instead it loaded the bases, which is how they would stay at the end of the frame.
 
The Bisons loaded the bases again in the second off a walk, fielder's choice and pair of singles then brought in the first run for the 1-0 lead on the next play with UIC committing another error.
 
The Flames put runners on in each of the first four innings but left them in scoring position in both the third and fourth innings. The two teams then played into 1-2-3 frames for the final five half innings.