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UIC Athletics

thevalley
Tara McElligott
Robert Hayes/YSU
5
Winner UIC UIC 28-21
4
Youngstown State YSU 36-14
Winner
UIC UIC
28-21
5
Final
4
Youngstown State YSU
36-14
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
UIC UIC 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 5 5 2
Youngstown State YSU 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 4 7 3

W: Hanlon, Marley (11-5) L: Buffenbarger, Elle (20-4)

Game Recap: Softball | | Jenn Zoellick

Flames Punch Ticket to #HLSB Championship with 5-4 win over YSU

UIC will make its fourth-straight Championship appearance

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The No. 3 seed UIC softball team (28-21, 23-11 HL) will make its fourth-straight appearance in the Horizon League Championship game after hanging on to defeat the No. 1 seed and host Youngstown State (36-14, 28-8 HL) on Friday in the Semifinals, 5-4.

Early offense helped the Flames jump out to a 5-1 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Penguins began chipping away at the lead, eventually pulling within one run in the bottom of the sixth. A leadoff bunt put a base runner on for YSU in the bottom of the seventh, but UIC's defense left her stranded on third as it held on for the one-run victory.

Game Highlights
  • Tara McElligott gave the Flames an early 2-0 lead with a no-doubter over the fence in left in the top of the first.
  • Youngstown State cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second with a solo home run, 2-1.
  • Kayla Wedl and Samantha Ferguson restored UIC's two-run lead in the top of the third, as Wedl led off the inning with a single, stole second and scored on Ferguson's single, 3-1.
  • UIC extended its lead in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs. Cassie Kaelber led off with a walk, and an error forced on a bunt by Emma Crowley put runners on second and third for Maica Ingles, who singled to left to bring in Kaelber, 4-1. Wedl batted an infield single to the second baseman to bring in Crowley, 5-1.
  • The Penguins plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth off two hits and an error, 5-3.
  • Youngstown State strung together a double and a single to pull within one run in the bottom of the sixth, 5-4.
  • The home team put its leadoff runner aboard via a bunt in the top of the seventh, and she moved all the way to third after a wild pitch and error, but starter Marley Hanlon sat down the next batter and forced the final batter to ground out to McElligott at first to get out of the jam and secure the championship bid for UIC.
Facts & Figures
  • The Penguins tallied more hits, 7-5. Wedl finished with two of UIC's five hits, while Ferguson, McElligott and Ingles made up the remaining three.
  • McElligott's two-run homer gave her a team-high two RBI on the day. Wedl, Ferguson and Ingles drove in the other three.
  • Wedl scored twice, while McElligott, Kaelber and Crowley each scored once.
  • Hanlon once again pitched the duration, allowing four runs (two earned) off seven hits while striking out three to improve to 11-5 on the season.
Up Next
  • The Flames will rematch with No. 2 Oakland in the Championship game tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT.
  • UIC will be making its 16th Championship appearance overall and will be seeking its 11th conference championship in tomorrow's contest.
 
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