CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (15-15, 2-0 HL) kicked off its conference season with a pair of victories Friday afternoon over Cleveland State (2-27, 0-2 HL) at Flames Field. The Flames first picked up a 10-3 victory began coming back in game two to run rule the Vikings with a 10-0 shutout in five innings.
 
UIC had a productive day at the plate as nine different players put together 21 hits, including four home runs from Jennah Speth (2), Emily Wetzel and Jasmine Willis. Speth led the team by going 4-for-5 with six RBI and three runs scored, while Willis also added six RBI off three hits.
 
The Flames will close out the series Saturday at 2 p.m. CT, pushed back from the original noon start time due to rain.
 
Game One: UIC 10, CSU 3
 
UIC scored eight runs across the fifth and sixth innings to break away from a tied game with Cleveland State. The Flames' 12 hits were led by Speth, who went 3-for-4 with two home runs and collected five RBI, as Lexi Watts and Wetzel additionally tabbed multiple hits with two apiece and Tiana Mack-Miller (2), Willis (2) and Watts (1) added RBI.
 
Karissa Frazier picked up the start and split the game with Lindsay Melson. Frazier threw 4.2 innings, struck out two, walked three and allowed four runs as she picked up her first save of the season, while Melson went 2.1 frames with two Ks, one walk and three hits and earned her first win of the year.
 
After Mack-Miller drew a walk on an 11-pitch at-bat in the first, Speth came in to pinch hit and sent the ball over the wall in left center for her first career home run and to put UIC up 2-0.
 
Cleveland State came back to tie it in the top of the second as it loaded the bases with a fielder's choice, walk and single before scoring on a ground out and wild pitch.
 
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Watts reached with a bunt single and made her way to third on a single to center by Ria Smith, who came in to pinch hit and moved to second on the play. Mack-Miller then stepped to the plate and doubled to left center, scoring both runs, before Speth dropped a single into left to plate Mack-Miller for the 5-2 lead.
 
The Vikings threatened in the sixth as they loaded the bases with a double, hit by pitch and single with one out and scored one on a single before they left the bases loaded.
 
The Flames were able to score three runs in the bottom of the sixth without registering an out as Kaleigh Nagle walked, Taylor Cairns singled and Watts got down the bunt single that allowed Nagle to score on the throw. Willis then came up and doubled down the left field line to score two before Speth took a 3-1 count and sent the ball to straightaway center for her second homer of the game.
 
Cleveland State made its final push in the seventh and got the leadoff batter on with a walk but a double play cleared the bases. It would put another two on with a single and a walk but the runners would remain.
 
Game Two: UIC 10, CSU 0 (5)
 
UIC turned out all of its runs across the first three frames and never looked back. The Flames executed nine hits with a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and two runs scored from Willis, who added her second home run of the season. An additional highlight of the game was that from Wetzel, who plated the eventual game-winning run with a grand slam.
 
Allie Trudeau was strong in the circle as she threw the complete game, her third of the year, and collected her first shutout as she held the Vikings to a mere three hits and matched her career high with five strikeouts while she walked just one.
 
UIC came out ahead after the first inning for the second time. After it loaded the bases on a single for Willis, walk for Speth and single for Savannah Soppet, Wetzel sent a shot over the wall in left for her first career home run and grand slam for the 4-0 lead.
 
The Flames added to their total in the second to go up 6-0. Nagle reached on an error and Cairns singled before both moved up a base on a CSU error. Willis then converted the sacrifice fly to bring in Nagle before Speth hit an infield single that scored Cairns.
 
In the third, Alice Fitzpatrick singled with one out before Cairns and Watts went back-to-back with singles of their own, with Watts picking up a RBI as Fitzpatrick scored. Willis then turned on a 3-2 count and shot the ball to left field for a three-run homer, her second of the season, to go up 10-0.
 
Cleveland State had just four players reach base in the game, as it was retired in order to end the game.