CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (16-16, 3-0 HL) will host its second conference series of the season this weekend when it welcomes Detroit Mercy (5-21, 2-1 HL) to Flames Field. Game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT Friday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. to follow Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT
The Flames are back home after falling in a 10-4 final at Northwestern Wednesday (March 29). UIC came back from a 10-run deficit to score four runs in the fifth inning while preventing the Wildcats from scoring in the final three innings.
 
Six hits were credited to the Flames as Jennah Speth and Savannah Soppet put up a team-best two apiece and collected the three RBI distributed. Allie Trudeau, Speth and Karissa Frazier all spent time in the circle and held NU to nine hits in the game.

SCOUTING THE FLAMES
With five weeks remaining in the regular season, UIC is hitting .278 with a conference-high 228 hits. Lexi Watts (.406), Speth (.400), Soppet (.319) and Taylor Cairns (.282) have had the top production while Watts owns a leading 41 hits. Of the six players with double-digit RBI totals, Jasmine Willis (.257) holds the best mark of 18. The Flames are also tied with the Titans for most stolen bases with 35, led by Watts' 11.
 
After three games in conference play, UIC owns a league-best .411 average off their 30 hits, featuring four home runs. Speth (.667) and Willis (.625) lead in averages, while Willis and Watts (.500) have five hits each. Of the 29 runs scored, Willis brought in nine with six coming from Speth.
 
The pitching staff has garnered a collective 2.98 earned-run average and held opponents to a minimal .239 batting average while striking out 135. Frazier (2.19 ERA) and Trudeau (3.12 ERA) have thrown the most innings as of late as they each own four wins on the year, while Elaine Heflin (2.83 ERA) has struck out a team-high 67.
 
The Flames have allowed just four runs to score in conference play with Trudeau (0.88 ERA) collecting two wins and striking out nine of the team's 13, as Frazier (2.10 ERA) and Lindsay Melson (3.00 ERA) have also contributed to the .200 opposing batting average.

SCOUTING THE TITANS
Detroit Mercy heads to Chicago on a week of rest after opening conference with a 2-1 series win over Wright State as it tabbed 1-0 and 9-7 (9) wins. The Titans finished with a 7-17 mark in the Horizon League last season for eighth place as they were pegged to finish in the same position in the 2017 Preseason Poll.
 
Coutrney Gilbert (.348) is the lone player hitting above .300 as Detroit Mercy owns a team average of .244. She additionally holds a team-high 24 hits and 13 RBI, while Savvy Ferstle (.266) has racked up 21 hits with three home runs and 12 RBI. Heading the team's 35 stolen bases is Sydney Pollock (.261) with eight.
 
In conference, the Titans put forth 29 hits and a .322 average with Ferstle (.455) and Gilbert (.455) at the top of the ranks with five hits apiece, as the pair also made up five of the team's 10 RBI.
 
Liz Murphy (4.05 ERA) has controlled the circle for 91.2 innings this season and has picked up five wins and 28 strikeouts. Ashley Mauser (4.86 ERA) has also seen upwards of 50 innings to contribute to the team's 4.96 ERA and .334 opposing average.
 
Murphy (2.19 ERA) owns 16 innings in league play along with the two wins as she has allowed 16 hits and struck out five. Mauser (1.24 ERA) has tossed 5.2 frames and has struck out two.

ALL-TIME SERIES
UIC holds a dominating 62-5 record in the all-time series with Detroit Mercy. Last season, the Flames swept the series at home as they tallied 15 runs and held the Titans to three in the three-game set.