EUGENE, Ore. – The UIC softball team (38-21) could not stop the offensive attack of No. 3 ranked Oregon (48-6) Friday night as it dropped a 13-0 decision in five innings to open play in the Eugene Regional of the NCAA Tournament at Jane Sanders Stadium.
 
The Flames will compete in the elimination game Saturday against Missouri at 6:30 p.m. CT. The winner will advance to the 9 p.m. game, while the loser will see its season come to an end.
 
In the five-inning contest, UIC was limited to just two hits from Tiana Mack-Miller and Kaleigh Nagle, while Kayla Wedl and Jennah Speth also reached base on walks. The Ducks fired off 13 hits in the game and scored at least one run in every inning.
 
Elaine Heflin earned the start but made an early exit from the game with an injury after facing just two batters. Allie Trudeau came in and pitched 3.1 frames with three walks and six hits given up. Karissa Frazier took over in the fourth and finished the game with four hits allowed.

"It was a pretty one-sided game," said head coach Lynn Curylo. "Oregon is a great team and we got off to a rough start. Allie (Trudeau) came in and competed and gave us a chance, we just needed to play better defense behind her.

"We're not done yet. We have to come back and we have to learn from this. This is a first time experience for our entire team, none of these players have been on this stage before. It's an opportunity for them to learn from it, grow and come back stronger tomorrow."
 
The Flames got into trouble early as Oregon laid down a pair of bunt singles to start the game. After Jasmine Willis and Wedl caught the runner at third on an attempted double steal, the Ducks put runners at the corners on a fielder's choice and then scored the first run of the game on a single through the left side. Two runners would remain as Wedl made a jumping catch to end the inning.
 
Wedl became the first runner of the game for UIC in the second as she reached with a walk but she remained on base.
 
After getting the first out, Oregon put runners in scoring position with a double, bunt single and stolen base then had two come across the plate on a single and Flames error for the 3-0 lead.
 
The Ducks added to their total in the third when their leadoff batter scored following a double, groundout and passed ball to go up 4-0.
 
Mack-Miller came up with the first UIC hit of the game in the fourth inning with one out, but was left stranded at second after moving up on a sacrifice bunt from Savannah Soppet.
 
The Flames struggled to stop Oregon in the fourth inning as it turned out nine runs with the use of two walks, five hits and two UIC errors to climb out to a 13-0 lead.
 
With the run-rule threatening, the Flames did not give up as Speth led off the top of the fifth with a walk. With two outs, Nagle dropped a single into the infield but the pair would stay on base to end the game.