CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (16-15) will make the short trip to Evanston, Ill., on Wednesday for a non-conference tilt with Northwestern (12-16). The Flames and Wildcats are set to take Drysdale Field for a 4 p.m. CT start.
 
UIC opened its Horizon League campaign over the weekend (March 24-25) and turned out a series sweep over Cleveland State at Flames Field with 10-3, 10-0 (5) and 9-1 (5) wins. The offense exploded as it produced 30 hits en route to scoring 29 runs.
 
Jennah Speth led the team at the plate by going 4-for-6 with two home runs and three walks as she tallied six RBI. Jasmine Willis was equally impressive with her five hits, featuring two doubles and one home run, and team-high nine RBI. Allie Trudeau had the top production among the pitching staff that limited the Vikings to just 12 hits as she went 2-0 with one complete-game shutout and struck out nine in eight innings on her way to a 0.88 earned-run average.
 
The production against Cleveland State improved the Flames' season batting average to .280. Lexi Watts (.418), Speth (.381), Savannah Soppet (.307), Kayla Wedl (.286) and Taylor Cairns (.286) have posted the top averages while Watts owns a team-high 41 hits, in addition to 10 stolen bases. Seven players have reached double-digit RBI totals with Willis (.268) pacing the team off her 18.
 
In the circle, UIC has held opponents to a .236 batting average while the pitchers have struck out 131 and acquired a 2.85 team ERA. Karissa Frazier (2.22 ERA), Trudeau (2.75 ERA) and Elaine Heflin (2.83) have all thrown upwards of 40 innings this season and own respective win totals of four, four and six, as Heflin is credited with more than half of the strikeouts with 67.
 
Northwestern enters into Wednesday having gone 6-2 over its last eight games, including a 1-2 turnout over the weekend after opening Big Ten play with No. 22 Wisconsin at home, as its win came in a 5-4 decision in eight innings. The Flames are 10-30 in the all-time series with the Wildcats, who won the last meeting in 2014 in a 14-7 final.
 
Sabrina Rablin (.356), Marissa Panko (.325) and Kenzie Ellis (.295) pace the NU offense that is hitting .250. The trio make up 76 hits, with a team-high 27 from Panko, as Ellis has driven in the most runs with 23 RBI. The Wildcats have been quick on the bases this season as they own 45 stolen bases, with a top mark of 12 from Rablin.
 
The starts have been primarily split between Ellis (2.80 ERA) and Nicole Bond (3.64 ERA) while Kaley Winegarner (2.33 ERA) and Morgan Newport (4.28 ERA) have also spent significant time in the circle. Together, they have struck out 123, a team-high 49 from Ellis, and allowed opponents to hit .265.