CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (5-9, 2-2 HL) will welcome Horizon League newcomer Purdue Fort Wayne (3-5, 2-2 HL) to Flames Field this weekend for its home opener. The Flames and Mastodons will play a four-game set, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Marc 20 at 1 p.m. CT and finishing with another doubleheader on Sunday, March 21 at 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
The Flames earned a series split with Youngstown State last weekend in their Horizon League debut. The Flames fell 5-2 in Friday's (March 12) opener but came back to shutout the Penguins in game two, 4-0, off the second career grand slam for fifth year senior Kayla Wedl. On Saturday (March 13) in a pair of pitcher's duels, the Flames were dealt a 2-1 loss in game one, but then defeated Youngstown State by the same score in game two.

BRINGING OUT THE BATS
After the first week of Horizon League play, the Flames are tied for fourth in hits, owning 75 hits on the season so far. They also come in at fourth in RBI, driving in 38 runs. The Flames are also tied for fifth in runs, crossing the dish 42 times this season as a team.  

Kayla Wedl has led the Flames' offensive efforts so far, batting .413 on the young season to rank second in the Horizon League. Wedl's 19 hits stand at second-most in the League, while her 13 RBI come in at third most. The fifth-year senior also leads the League in home runs, sending five balls over the fence so far this season. Junior Tara McElligott also makes the Horizon League ranks, checking in at 10th in the conference in RBI with eight.

HEATING UP THE CIRCLE
As a team, the UIC softball pitching staff owns a 3.28 earned run average, putting them at fifth in the Horizon League. Freshman Miranda Gomez leads UIC with a 2.80 ERA through 35.0 innings pitched, putting her at 10th in the League. Sophomore Christina Toniolo has seen the most action, owning a 3.83 ERA through 42.0 innings pitched to rank 17th in the League. Toniolo has also struck out 22 batters, a mark which ranks eighth in the conference.  

BACK IN THE LINEUP
The 2021 roster features just six upperclassmen, including fifth-year senior and 2019 Horizon League Player of the Year Kayla Wedl, who led the team in hits (23), runs (14) and steals (6) in the shortened 2020 season. Also returning for UIC is senior Maddie Spinks, who hit .340 in 2020 with 17 hits and 13 runs. Fellow seniors Cassie Kaelber, Marley Hanlon and Kayla Pociejewski are also all back for the Flames in 2021. Junior Tara McElligott is also back in the lineup after hitting .228 with 13 hits, three home runs and 10 RBI in the 2020 campaign.

YOUNG SQUAD
UIC's 2021 squad is made up primarily of underclassmen, boasting seven freshmen and seven sophomores. First-year Flames Annmarie Sillas, Dee Dee Caskey, Isabelle Garcia, Larisa Villa, Miranda Gomez, Emma Crowley and Alyssa McIntosh will all be making their UIC debuts this season, while sophomores Mary Jones, Jordyn Cebedo, Christina Toniolo, Samantha Ferguson, Alannah Cran and McKennah Ulrey are all back for their second season with the Flames.

Ferguson led the Flames last year with a .349 batting average, accumulating 22 hits, eight runs and five RBI in her freshman campaign. In the circle, Christina Toniolo paced the Flames' staff with a 3.12 ERA across 49.1 innings pitched in her first year with the Flames.

FAN ATTENDANCE
At present, only pre-authorized family and friends of participating UIC student-athletes and staff are permitted to be in attendance at Flames Field due to the reduced capacity allowed under State of Illinois COVID safety guidelines. Guests of visiting personnel and members of the general public are unfortunately not permitted at this time. Walk-up admission is strictly prohibited.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Horizon League Newcomer Purdue Fort Wayne split their first conference series with Cleveland State last weekend, coming up short in the opener, 4-3, but coming back to defeat the Vikings 11-1 in Friday's finale. On Saturday, the Mastodons took an 8-5 win in game one but fell 10-7 in the series finale. Meagan Mullaney and Madeline Swart lead the Mastodons with seven hits and seven runs apiece so far this season, while Morganne Denny has driven in the most runs, owning seven RBI. In the circle, Shaina Eyre leads Purdue Fort Wayne with a 4.80 ERA through 23.1 innings of work, allowing 23 hits while striking out 20. UIC is 4-0 all-time in previous meetings with the Mastodons, most recently taking a 10-3 win over Purdue Fort Wayne back on March 16, 2019, when the two teams met at the Belmont Invitational.