CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (8-14, 1-0 HL) started Horizon League play with a bang, defeating Cleveland State (6-17, 0-1 HL) 17-6 in six innings on Friday evening. The Flames used 18 hits to tie their season-high run total (17) to defeat the Vikings in their first game of the season at home on Flames Field.  

Game Highlights

• The Flames got things started in the bottom of the first, as Lexi Watts singled and Tara McElligott followed with a double off the wall out in right center to bring around Watts. Skylee James singled, stole second, and moved to third on the Kayla Wedl single, which brought in McElligott.
• The bottom of the first continued with both Alyssa Griman and pinch-hitting Kayla Pociejewski drawing walks to load the bags and Kaelber batting into a fielder's choice, allowing Wedl to score. Emily Wetzel capped the inning with a single out to left, bringing in another two runs to put UIC ahead 6-0.
• Watts and James both got on again in the bottom of the second, and Watts came across the plate once more on a grounder from Wedl, 7-0. Griman drew another walk, and Schyler Ek put a blooper out in left to plate James, 8-0.
• Cleveland State used a single and back-to-back doubles in the top of the third to get on the board with a trio of runs, 8-3.
• The Flames put up a six spot in the bottom of the fourth with six hits, while also taking advantage of a pair of Cleveland State errors. James put a double through the right side to lead off, and Wedl followed with a single that was misjudged by the Viking outfielder, allowing her to move on to third while allowing James to come home. Griman singled down the right field line to plate Wedl, Ek followed with her second hit of the day and Cassie Kaelber got on with a well-placed bunt to load the bases.
• With the bags full of Flames, Claire Crane put a ball out in right, and it was once again misjudged by Cleveland State, which emptied the bags and put Crane on third. A pass ball during the Watts at bat scored Crane, giving UIC a hefty 14-3 lead.
• The Vikings made a big response in their next at bat with six runs of their own to come within striking distance, 14-9.
• Crane opened up the bottom of the sixth with a homer over the fence in right center, her second of the season. Wetzel walked, Watts laid down a bunt and McElligott batted into a fielder's choice to force Wetzel out at third. James put her third hit of the day into center to load up the bags, and Wedl cleared them with a double to right, giving the Flames the run-rule victory.

Facts & Figures

• The Flames tabbed 18 hits, twice as many as Cleveland State's nine. Watts was a perfect 4-for-4 in the game to lead UIC, while James and Wedl followed with three hits each. Ek and Crane also contributed multi-hit efforts with two apiece.
• All but one batter recorded a hit in the effort, while every batter reached base at least once.
• Allie Trudeau got the nod in the circle, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing eight hits and nine earned runs. Karissa Frazier dealt the remaining 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit to earn her first save of the season.

Up Next

• The series wraps up tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. CT.