CHICAGO – The UIC softball team (16-12, 13-5 HL) will take its six-game win streak on the road this weekend to Moon Township, Pa. as it faces Horizon League newcomer Robert Morris (16-10, 11-7 HL) in a four-game series at the Colonials' North Athletic Complex. The series is set to begin on Friday, April 9 with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. CT and will wrap up on Saturday, April 10 with another doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.

LAST TIME OUT
The Flames earned a doubleheader sweep over IUPUI on Tuesday in their first Horizon League mid-week matchup of the season. UIC utilized the long ball in game one, batting a trio of home runs to take down the Jags, 6-1. In game two, Maica Ingles broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI single up the middle to walk off the game with a 3-2 win for the Flames. The wins pushed UIC's win streak to six games and allowed the Flames to remain a perfect 10-0 so far this season at home.

BRINGING OUT THE BATS
Four weeks into Horizon League play, UIC stands at second in the League in batting, averaging .284 at the plate as a team. The Flames are currently tied for the conference lead in RBIs, driving in 131 runs, and they own the top slugging percentage in the League at .447. In other offensive categories, UIC ranks second in hits, tallying 211 hits a squad, and they also rank third in runs, scoring 145 total runs so far this season.   

Kayla Wedl continues to pace the Flames at the plate, batting .430 on the season to rank second in the League. Wedl's 25 RBIs are also second on the season, while her 40 hits and seven homers lead the conference. The fifth-year senior is also the League's top run scorer, scoring 37 times this season for a hefty 15-run lead over any other player in the conference. Wedl has reached base in her last 20-straight games, and in all but two games overall so far this season.

Sophomore Samantha Ferguson comes in at seventh in the conference in batting with a .375 average on the season, and she is also tied for fifth in RBI, driving in 19 runs so far. Freshman Emma Crowley joins Wedl and Ferugson on the RBI list, tied for eighth with 18 runs driven in this year, while Junior Tara McElligott has landed herself in the League's top five in runs, crossing the plate 21 times this season. McElligott is also in a tie for third in the League in home runs with five after hitting a homer in her last three-straight games.

HEATING UP THE CIRCLE
As a team, the UIC softball pitching staff owns a 3.22 earned run average, putting them at fourth in the Horizon League. Freshman Miranda Gomez leads UIC's staff with a 3.46 ERA through 62.2 innings pitched, putting her at 13th in the League. Sophomore Christina Toniolo follows just behind Gomez in 14th with a 3.56 ERA, and she also shares the League lead in wins with nine on the season so far. Toniolo also checks in at eighth in strikeouts, fanning 48 batters this year.  

Senior southpaw Marley Hanlon and Freshman Alyssa McIntosh round out UIC's staff, with Hanlon owning a 3-1 record on the season and a 1.45 ERA through 24.0 innings, and McIntosh owning an 0-2 record and a 3.56 ERA through 19.2 innings pitched.

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 Robert Morris is 11-7 so far in conference action, most recently taking a 3-1 series win over fellow newcomer Purdue Fort Wayne this past weekend. Natalie Higgins leads the Colonials as well as the Horizon League with a .437 batting average, and she comes in at second in the conference behind Wedl with 38 hits so far this season. In the circle, Dana Vatakis handles a majority of the work, owning a 3.06 ERA through 64.0 innings pitched. This weekend's series will serve as the first-ever meetings between the Flames and the Colonials.