MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The UIC softball team (18-14, 15-7 HL) closed out its first-ever series at Robert Morris (18-12, 13-9 HL) on Saturday with another doubleheader split, coming up short in game one, 6-5, before erupting for a 12-6 win in the finale. The Flames fought back from a 5-2 deficit in game one, tying the game at five in the top of the seventh, but the Colonials were able to string together a pair of hits in the bottom half of the inning to take the walk-off win. UIC came out with its bats swinging in the finale, putting up 13 hits with every starter reaching base and recording a run in the 12-6 victory.

Game One Highlights

• Robert Morris batted back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first for an early 3-0 lead.
• UIC cut at the Colonials' lead in the top of the fifth. Isabelle Garcia drew a one-out walk, Maddie Spinks singled to center and Dee Dee Caskey bunted into a fielder's choice to load the bases. Maica Ingles drew a walk, getting UIC on the board, 3-1. After a pitching change for Rober Morris, Kayla Wedl stepped up to the plate and put a fly ball out to right, allowing Spinks to tag up and score, 3-2.
• The Colonials re-established their lead in the bottom of the fifth after two hits, a walk, a fielder's choice and an error, 5-2.
• Down to their last three outs, UIC put together an impressive comeback, tying the game at five in the top of the seventh. Caskey led off with a triple, and she came in to score on a double from Ingles, 5-3. Ingles took third on a wild pitch, and she scored on an error forced by Wedl to put UIC one away, 5-4. Another wild pitch allowed Wedl to move all the way to third, which led to her scoring on a ground out from Ferguson to tie the game at five.
• Robert Morris was able to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh after an infield single moved to second on a ground out and scored on another single, 6-5.

Game One Facts & Figures

• Robert Morris out hit the Flames in game one, 8-5. Ingles, Garcia, Emma Crowley, Spinks and Caskey each recorded a hit for UIC.
• Ingles led UIC on the day with a pair of RBI, while Wedl and Ferguson each earned an RBI of their own.
• Ingles, Wedl, Garcia, Spinks and Caskey scored UIC's five runs.
• Miranda Gomez got the start and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) off four hits while striking out three. Marley Hanlon pitched the final 2.1 innings to take the loss, giving up two runs (one earned) off four hits.

Game Two Highlights

• Robert Morris took another early lead in game two, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after stringing together a trio of hits.
• The Colonials added a run in their next at bat after a leadoff single moved to third on a fielder's choice and an error and scored on a double steal, 3-0.
• The home team scored again in the bottom of the third off a pair of singles, 4-0.
• The Flames cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Crowley drew a two-out walk, and she came in to score after back-to-back Colonial errors, 4-1. Tara McElligott and Garcia remained on the corners, and the pair pulled off the double steal to bring across another run, 4-2.
• UIC's bats came alive and turned the tides in the bottom of the fifth, putting up eight runs. Kaelber led off with a double, which was followed by back-to-back bunts from Ingles and Caskey, allowing Kaelber to score, 4-3. Wedl followed with yet another bunt to load the bases for Ferguson, who singled to right to score two runs and give the Flames the lead, 5-4. McKennah Ulrey stepped in to pinch run for Ferguson, and a double steal from Wedl and Ulrey forced a Colonial error, plating Wedl, 6-4. Garcia reached next on an error, putting Ulrey at third, and McElligott was hit by a pitch to once again load the bags with Flames. Spinks stepped up to the plate and sent one through the right side to score Ulrey and Garcia, and Ingles followed that up with her second hit of the inning, singling to center to score both Spinks and McElligott, 10-4.
• Wedl extended UIC's lead in the top of the seventh with her eighth home run of the season, a G
• The Colonials got a pair of runs in their final at bat off a two-run home run, but the Flames got out of the inning without any more damage being done to take home the 12-6 victory.  

Game Two Facts & Figures

• UIC had the advantage in hits in the finale, 13-10. Ingles, Caskey, Wedl, Spinks and Kaelber all finished with multi-hit showings, while Ferguson and Mary Jones also contributed hits for the Flames.
• Ingles, Wedl, Ferguson and Spinks drove in two runs apiece, while Caskey also picked up an RBI in the finale.
• Caskey, Wedl and Garcia led the Flames with two runs apiece, while Ingles, Ulrey, Crowley, McElligott, Spinks and Kaelber each scored once.
• Christina Toniolo started in the circle for UIC and pitched 3.0 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) off seven hits. Hanlon dealt the final 4.0 innings to earn the win and improve to 5-2 on the season. The senior southpaw allowed two earned runs off three hits during her time in the circle.

Up Next

• UIC will return home to Chicago for a four-game series with Cleveland State April 16-17.