CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (26-18, 13-2 HL) will hold its final home conference series of the season this week when it welcomes Green Bay (2-22, 1-9 HL) to Flames Field. The series has been adjusted from its original schedule as the two teams will now play a doubleheader Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT and a single game Wednesday at 3 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Flames are coming off a 2-1 output over the weekend (April 14-15) against Northern Kentucky. UIC took the first two games, 1-0 (12) and 6-1, to advance their win streak to nine games before NKU came away with the finale, 4-3 (8). The Flames outhit the Norse, 26-10, as they accumulated seven extra-base hits. Notably, UIC had just seven strikeouts in the series while NKU was rung up 31 times.
 
Savannah Soppet had the best production for the Flames with six hits followed by Skylee James with four. Of the seven extra-base tallies, three were credited to Kayla Wedl as she hit two doubles and one home run, with Jennah Speth adding the other homer in the series and leading the team with three RBI.
 
Pitching for UIC was on point yet again. Elaine Heflin broke her six-day old program strikeout record as she retired 18 in game one and threw 10.1 no-hit innings. Karissa Frazier and Allie Trudeau each tabbed a win in the series, with Frazier dealing a complete game and Trudeau sharing the shutout with Heflin.
 
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
The Flames are hitting .275 on the year with a league-best 327 hits. Lexi Watts (.389), Speth (.341) and Soppet (.310) are at the top as Watts owns a team-high 56 hits, 29 runs scored and 21 stolen bases, four steals away from becoming UIC's all-time leader in the category, and Speth leads in home runs (5). Speth (24), Tiana Mack-Miller (21) and Jasmine Willis (20) have brought in the most runs with eight players reaching double-digit RBI totals.
 
In conference, the Flames have gone .293 with seven players owning 10-plus hits to contribute to the team's 129 tallies. Watts (.377), Emily Wetzel (.348), Speth (.327), James (.326) and Taylor Cairns (.326) have had the most production, as Watts leads in hits (20) and stolen bases (11) and Speth takes the top mark in home runs (5) and RBI (16).
 
With a 2.33 earned-run average on the year, the UIC pitching staff has been dealing as it has struck out 238 and held opponents to a .213 batting average. Frazier (1.55 ERA), Heflin (2.24 ERA) and Trudeau (2.66 ERA) have all be strong in their starts, with Frazier and Heflin each owning nine wins and throwing more than 100 innings. Heflin has struck out a team-high 124 with 53 of those Ks coming over her last four appearances.
 
A minimal 1.06 ERA has been produced in league play with foes held to a .158 average. Frazier (0.65 ERA), Heflin (1.00 ERA) and Trudeau (1.58 ERA) lead the Horizon League as they each have at least two shutouts. Frazier owns a team-best five wins with four complete games and two shutouts as Heflin boasts 57 of the team's 116 Ks.
 
SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
Green Bay heads to Chicago having lost its last six games against Valparaiso, Oakland and Detroit Mercy, as its most recent series with the Titans went just one game with a 14-3 decision. The Phoenix have just two wins on the year with the last one coming in conference play against the Crusaders, 4-3.
 
In 24 games, Green Bay has produced a .249 batting average with Chyanne Onstad (.371), Abby Brinkmeier (.355), Allie Taylor (.324) and Hailee Frey (.290) taking the top marks as they each have more than 20 hits on the year. A majority of the team's runs have been knocked in by Onstad and Taylor as they each have 13 RBI and lead the group with a combined seven home runs.
 
Brinkmeier (.394), Frey (.344) and Taylor (.290) additionally lead in conference with 34 of Green Bay's 60 hits as they have tallied a combined six doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI.
 
Katie Rossman (6.67 ERA) has been heavily relied on in the circle as she has thrown 92.1 innings and received all but seven starts. Sinead Korvela (8.77 ERA) and Kelly Christensen (11.62 ERA) have split the remaining 53 innings not tossed by Rossman as the staff collectively owns a 7.80 ERA and .383 opposing average with a mere 24 strikeouts.
 
Rossman (5.32 ERA) has all but 17.1 innings on her record against conference opponents with eight-of-10 starts and three complete games. Christensen (10.50 ERA) and Korvela (10.50 ERA) have each thrown less than 10 innings as the team holds a 6.71 ERA and .359 opposing average.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
UIC owns an all-time record of 61-22 against Green Bay. Last season, the Phoenix came away with the series in Wisconsin as they won two out of three.