URBANA, Ill. – The UIC softball team (13-15) fell short in its doubleheader at Illinois (18-8) on Tuesday as two grand slams by the Fighting Illini made the eventual difference in a pair of 7-3 and 7-5 losses at Eichelberger Field.
 
The Flames combined to outhit Illinois, 16-14, as Kayla Wedl, Savannah Soppet and Alice Fitzpatrick led the team with three hits apiece, as the trio additionally scored five of the team's eight runs. Seven players added RBI to their stat sheets with a team-best two for both Wedl and Soppet.
 
UIC will now begin preparations for Horizon League play set to get underway this weekend at Flames Field. The Flames will host Cleveland State in the first game of the three-game series Friday at 2 p.m. CT and will follow it up with a doubleheader at noon Saturday.
 
Game One: Illinois 7, UIC 3
 
UIC was unable to hold onto its one-run lead as Illinois came out to score five runs, including four off a grand slam, in the bottom of the sixth. The Flames put together seven hits with a team-best two from Soppet, while Claire Crane, Emily Wetzel and Taylor Cairns picked up RBI.
 
Allie Trudeau earned her fifth start of the season and threw 4.2 innings while she set a career high with five strikeouts, in addition to walking three and allowing six hits. Lindsay Melson entered in relief with two outs in the fifth and finished the game with one walk and two hits allowed.
 
UIC put up the first run of the game in the second for the 1-0 lead. Wetzel singled but was out at second on the next play when Fitzpatrick had a base hit into right center. With two outs, Crane ripped the ball down the left field line to score Fitzpatrick from first.
 
While stranding a runner in both the first and second, Illinois came out in the third to load the bases with two outs off a hit by pitch, single and intentional walk before it brought in two runs with a single to right to go ahead 2-1. The Fighting Illini put four runners on across the fourth and fifth but they were held on base.
 
The Flames came out in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases as Soppet singled, Jennah Speth was safe on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt attempt and Wedl reached after missing the tag on a bunt. Wetzel then stepped to the plate and converted the sacrifice fly that allowed Soppet to score. Two fielder's choice plays kept the bases loaded before Cairns drew a walk to plate the go-ahead run, 3-2.
 
Illinois came right back in the bottom half and loaded the bases on an error, a single and a fielder's choice before it walked in the tying run and Nicole Evans hit a grand slam to jump out to a 7-3 lead.
 
Into the final frame, UIC tried to put together a rally as Tiana Mack-Miller and Soppet led off the frame with back-to-back singles before each advanced on a wild pitch and Illinois committed an error that put Speth at first to load the bases, but they were left that way to end the game.
 
Game Two: Illinois 7, UIC 5
 
UIC and Illinois scored all 12 of the games runs in the third inning with a grand slam putting the Fighting Illini out ahead for the eventual win. The Flames outhit the Fighting Illini, 9-6, with a team-best two hits apiece for Wedl, Speth and Fitzpatrick.
 
Elaine Heflin collected the start and threw two complete innings and into the third as she struck out one and walked two with four hits allowed. Karissa Frazier tossed the remainder of the game and limited Illinois to just two hits and was credited with one run while she struck out one and walked one.
 
While UIC collected the first hit of the game with a single from Speth in the top of the second, Illinois went into the bottom of the inning and loaded the bases off a walk, hit by pitch and single but all runners remained.
 
The Flames quickly loaded the bases in their turn at the plate in the third as Fitzpatrick, Cairns and Lexi Watts all singled to begin the frame. Mack-Miller drew a walk to score one before Soppet came up to bat with two outs and singled into center to score two. In Wedl's turn at the plate, she sent a shot into left that allowed her to collect her fourth triple of the season and to put UIC up 5-0.
 
The Fighting Illini put up runs of their own in the third after they singled and a Flames error on a fielder's choice allowed one to score. After a hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases, a single into right center brought in one before Emily Brodner hit Illinois' second grand slam of the day to go up 6-5. The final run of the frame came on a ground out after the runner reached with a double and moved up on a wild pitch.
 
Speth broke the pattern of six-straight Flames being retired when she picked up her second hit of the game with a two-out single in the fifth but she was kept on base. UIC would leave three runners on base over the final two innings as Wedl and Fitzpatrick singled and Jasmine Willis reached with a walk.