CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (32-23) came up short in the Horizon League Championship on Saturday, dropping a pair of games to eventual champion, Detroit Mercy (31-26). The Flames couldn't come up with an answer for the Titans' Liz Murphy, who dealt two shutouts and allowed just eight hits across both contests to lead her team to a 2-0 victory in game one and a 1-0 win in game two.

Game One Highlights

• A bases-loaded single through the middle for the Titans gave them a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
• The Flames were held without a hit until the fourth inning, when Alyssa Griman batted a two-out single through the left side following a Skylee James walk, but a grounder followed to end the inning for UIC.
• The Flames put two on again in the sixth, as Schyler Ek walked and Lexi Watts singled up the middle, but an infield fly put the inning to bed.
• James led off the bottom of the sixth with a sharp shot at the short stop for a hit, but a trio of grounders left her out on second.
• UIC went down in order in the bottom of the seventh to hand Detroit Mercy the 2-0 win.

Game One Facts & Figures

• The Flames were held to just three hits, as Watts, James and Griman recorded one apiece.
• James extended her hit streak to 25 games with her leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth.
• Jennah Speth got the start and took the loss, allowing two earned runs off four hits. After allowing the two runs in the first, Speth settled in, retiring the Titans in order in the second, third and fourth innings.
• Karissa Frazier dealt the final 2.0 innings, allowing zero hits and zero runs while striking out two.

Game Two Highlights

• The Flames put two on in the bottom of the second off a leadoff walk for Tara McElligott and a single to right center for Ek, but the next three batters went down in-a-row to end the opportunity.

• Back-to-back doubles in the top of the fourth gave the Titans a 1-0 lead.
• UIC had another good look in the bottom of the sixth, after walks from McElligott and the pinch-hitting Jasmine Willis, but a strikeout got the Titans out of the inning.
• Kayla Wedl and Skylee James batted back-to-back singles with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but a full count ended in Murphy's sixth strikeout of the night, giving the Titans the 1-0 win.

Game Two Facts & Figures

• The Flames tallied five hits in the contest, with single tallies coming from Watts, Wedl, James, Ek and Cassie Kaelber.
• Marley Hanlon took to the circle for the first 4.0 innings to take the loss. The sophomore allowed just one run and two hits while striking out one. Allie Trudeau handled the remaining 3.0 innings, allowing three hits and no runs while striking out five.
• Hanlon, Watts and Wedl were all honored with All-Tournament Team honors.