CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (17-16, 4-0 HL) pulled away for a 9-3 victory Friday afternoon to open its series with Detroit Mercy (5-22, 2-2 HL) at Flames Field. The Flames scored their runs across five innings as they put together 11 hits, with two doubles and one home run.
 
Eight players contributed to UIC's hit total as Jennah Speth stood at the top with three to match her career high. Skylee James additionally had a multi-hit game with two tallies and led the Flames in RBI with two, as Kayla Wedl picked up her second homer of the year. Every player who stepped to the plate reached base during the game.
 
Allie Trudeau picked up her fifth win of the season as went five complete innings and into the sixth with four strikeouts, three walks and five hits allowed. Karissa Frazier came in with the bases loaded in the sixth and finished the game to garner her second save this year as she struck out three, walked one and allowed only two hits.
 
UIC executed in the first inning and pulled away for a 3-0 lead. After Tiana Mack-Miller and James drew walks, Savannah Soppet singled up the middle to score Mack-Miller. Wedl reached on an error and Jasmine Willis followed with a single to plate James. With the bases still loaded, a passed ball allowed the third run to score.
 
In the bottom of the third, the Flames added to their total off the first two batters as Speth led off with her third double of the season and scored as James dropped a single into shallow center.
 
Another pair of runs came in for UIC in the fourth as Taylor Cairns singled, stole second and scored on a double to right center from Lexi Watts. With two outs and Watts at third, Speth ripped the ball off the third baseman's glove to score Watts.
 
Wedl stepped to the plate in the bottom of the fifth with one out and sent the ball out to right center for her second home run of the season and to put UIC up 7-0.
 
Detroit Mercy came out in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases on an error and two singles before a run came in on a walk, another on a fielder's choice and the third on an infield single, narrowing the Flames' lead to 7-3.
 
The Flames answered back in the bottom half of the inning as Mack-Miller led off with a walk, advanced on a passed ball then single for Speth before she scored as James singled into right. Emily Wetzel then loaded the bases on a four-pitch walk and Alice Fitzpatrick drew a walk of her own to bring in the final run.
 
UIC will return to Flames Field to close out the series with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.