ROCHESTER, Mich. – For the third-consecutive season, the UIC softball team (33-20, 18-4 HL) is the Horizon League regular season champion as it defeated Oakland (20-22, 13-9 HL), 10-3, Saturday at the Oakland Softball Field to clinch the title with two games to go in the regular season. It is the first time since the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons that the Flames have completed the three-peat.
 
With its 16th regular season title in hand with an 18-4 record under the direction of first-year head coach Lynn Curylo, UIC will serve as hosts for the 2017 Horizon League Championship, set for May 10-13 at Flames Field, as the No. 1 seed.
 
Lexi Watts presented the Flames with an additional highlight on the day as she stole her 25th base of the season, bringing her career total to 62 to become UIC's all-time steals leader in just two seasons.
 
Watts additionally led the Flames' 14-hit output, marking the 15th double-digit hit total of the season, with three tallies. Kayla Wedl, Savannah Soppet, Jasmine Willis and Ria Smith also had multi-hit games with two apiece, as Wedl was a key factor in plating UIC's runs as she produced four RBI.
 
Elaine Heflin tossed the first four complete innings and into the fifth with three walks and four hits allowed in the four shutout frames to garner her 12th win of the season. Allie Trudeau took over in the circle with no outs and two on in the fifth and threw the final three frames with two strikeouts, one walk and two hits to garner her third save of the year.
 
The Flames came out in the top of the first to take the 1-0 lead. Watts led off with a walk, advanced to second on a muffed throw from Oakland and then on to third as the Golden Grizzlies committed an error to put Tiana Mack-Miller on first. Wedl came up and reached on a fielder's choice as Watts beat the throw home. UIC looked to add another as Willis singled up the middle, but the run was retracted as interference was called.
 
Oakland threatened in the bottom half as it loaded the bases on two walks and a single but the Flames were able to get out of it unharmed.
 
In the third, the top of the lineup put UIC ahead 3-0. An error allowed Watts to start the inning at second before she moved up on a fly out and scored on the squeeze as Wedl laid down the bunt single. Following a fielder's choice that put two on, Jennah Speth singled down the right field line to score Wedl from second.
 
The Flames turned out a four-run fourth frame to go up 7-0. Smith singled to lead off then advanced all the way to third as Watts recorded a bunt single. After Watts stole second, both runners came in on a single up the middle by Wedl. Wedl then swiped second and scored on a single from Soppet, who came across the plate on a single into center from Willis.
 
The Golden Grizzlies ended the shutout in the bottom of the fifth as a single and hit by pitch led off the frame then a double and a single scored two runs.
 
UIC put the leadoff batter on base for the fourth time as Watts secured her second single of the game. Mack-Miller then walked but the first out came as Watts was caught stealing. Soppet came up and singled up the middle, allowing Mack-Miller to score from second to make it an 8-2 lead.
 
The scoring drive continued in the seventh as Taylor Cairns singled with one out then scored as Smith hit her first career double. Kaleigh Nagle came through in the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly to center, plating Smith for the final run.
 
In its final turn at the plate, Oakland pushed a run in as it put two runners on with a single and a walk before one scored on a sacrifice fly.
 
The Flames and Golden Grizzlies are set to close out the series and the regular season Sunday with a doubleheader at 11 a.m. CT.