BOCA RATON, Fla. – UIC capped play at the FAU Strike Out Cancer Tournament on a high note as it fought off Dartmouth for a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon at the FAU Softball Stadium. The Flames turned out a 3-2 record at the tournament having already defeated the Big Green in addition to Columbia.
 
UIC outhit opponents, 31-27, over the course of its five games and had six come as doubles while it also walked 12 times and stole eight bases. Lexi Watts had a team-best .563 average after going 9-for-16 followed by Taylor Cairns with a .417 (5-for-12) average as the two combined for seven walks, four stolen bases and scored eight of the team's 14 runs. Alyssa Griman batted in the most runs with four RBI off four hits.
 
The pitching staff of Allie Trudeau, Marley Hanlon and Karissa Frazier each picked up a win and struck out a combined 27 while holding the opposition to a .213 average.
 
HEADLINES

• Defensive Web Gem: In the third, Dartmouth put two runners on with no outs but UIC was able to turn an impressive double play as a liner hit off the glove of Tiana Mack-Miller and Kayla Wedl grabbed the deflection before throwing it to Cairns at second. Wedl would go on to make two more top-notch defensive plays in the fourth.
• Flames Get It Going in Third: Stepping to the plate in the bottom half, Maddie Spinks, Watts and Cairns all singled to lead off before Claire Crane singled into right to score one and another came in on heads-up base running as the Big Green tried to catch the Flames in a run down.
• Dartmouth Pulls Off Two-Out Rally: The Big Green put together a single, walk and hit by pitch with two outs to load the bases in the top of the fifth. Following a pitching change, Morgan Marinelli sent the ball down the left field line for a double that plated two runs to tie the game at 2-2.
• UIC Reclaims Lead: It did not take long before the Flames were back in the lead as it happened in the bottom of the inning. Cairns led off with a single, advanced on a groundout and scored as Griman hit her second double of the season to right field.
• Big Green Make Final Push: Dartmouth tried to come back on UIC in the top of the seventh as its leader batter, Jade Bravo, got on with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. However, the Flames got out of it as the next two batters struck out and flied out, respectively.

 
NOTABLES

• UIC had its largest hit output of the weekend with eight tallies. Cairns and Spinks led the effort with two hits apiece, with Watts, Crane, Griman and Wedl also adding to the total. Watts extended her hit streak to six games while Cairns and Griman have had at least one hit in the last three games.
• Hanlon got her second start of the year and went 4.2 innings with two strikeouts, one walk and four hits allowed. Frazier entered with the bases loaded in the fifth and finished the game to pick up her third win of the year. She struck out two and held the Big Green to two hits.
• Dartmouth was the first opponent out of the last four to have at least six hits, as all but one team has had less than 10 this season.

 
UP NEXT

• UIC will have an off week before returning to action at the Racer Classic in Murray, Ky., March 9-11.
• The Flames will be matched against Rhode Island, Evansville, Kent State and host Murray State at Racer Field.