BATON ROUGE, La. – A tough night offensively hurt UIC in the long run as it dropped a 3-0 decision to No. 8 LSU in its season opener Thursday at Tiger Park. All of the Tigers' runs came late in the game as they went without a hit until the fifth inning.
 
HEADLINES

• Flames Eye Fourth: After being held off base in each of the first three innings, UIC was productive at the plate in the fourth. Kayla Wedl became the first base runner of the game with a walk but was out as Skylee James reached on a fielder's choice. With two outs, Tiana Mack-Miller came to the plate and singled into left center, with James rounding to third, but both were left on base.
• Lexi Watts to the Rescue: LSU executed its own threat in the bottom half of the inning. With a runner on base off a hit by pitch, Watts robbed Amanda Doyle of what would have been an extra-base hit with a running grab in left center. Watts then went the other direction on the next play, diving into right center to sop Shemiah Sanchez's ball then throwing all the way to first to turn the double play.
• LSU Finds Its Groove: The Tigers were without a hit until the fifth inning, when a walk and bunt single put two on with no outs. After a sacrifice bunt, a single down the line allowed the first run of the game to score. LSU came back in the sixth to go up 3-0 as runs came in on a groundout and RBI single.

 
NOTABLES

• Hits were limited on either side as UIC grabbed a mere two from Mack-Miller and James. Wedl drew the lone walk as the Flames reached base in just two of the seven innings.
• Allie Trudeau dealt the complete game in the circle. She limited the Tigers to a minimal four hits while she walked four with 85 pitches.
• UIC was unable to bust the pitching of LSU ace Carley Hoover, who struck out 12 Flames batters and walked one.

 
UP NEXT

• The Flames will make the 58 mile drive west to Lafayette, La., where they are set to compete in the Mardi Gras Classic at Louisiana's Lamson Park.
• UIC will face Samford (9 a.m. CT) and Iowa (11:30 a.m.) on Friday, Evansville (11:30 a.m.) on Saturday and close out its stay with Iowa (10 a.m.) and #22 Louisiana (12:30 p.m.) on Sunday.