CHICAGO – In the midst of a furious seventh-inning rally, UIC had the potential game-winning run at the plate with two outs, but the Northern Illinois Huskies hung out to squeeze out a 10-8 victory at Flames Field on a chilly day in the Windy City.
The Flames began their last at-bat trailing by four. Freshmen
Jojo Santiago and
Grace Fleming ripped off back-to-back base hits to center field.
Alannah Cran sacrificed the pair up 60 feet and was safe at first base herself when the NIU second baseman dropped the throw.
Emma Crowley and pinch hitter
Hailey Cowing then delivered back-to-back RBI ground outs, pulling UIC within two runs.
Maica Ingles walked to give the home team runners at the corners.
Tara McElligott hit a sharp grounder to shortstop that was fielded and taken to the second base bag to close out the ball game.
The game featured plenty of action ahead of the final frame. The Huskies scored a first-inning run on a couple of hits, a wild pitch and an error. Fleming helped limit the damage, however, as she fielded a ground ball at her position in center field and came up firing to the plate to cut down an NIU runner trying to score from second base for the second out. The freshman then corralled a fly ball that was dancing in the wind for the final out.
The second inning was an explosive one as the teams each scored five times. Trailing by six, the Flames loaded the bases with their first hitters ahead of pitcher
Christina Toniolo. In her first collegiate plate appearance, the junior walked on five pitches to allow Santiago to score UIC's first run. The next hitter,
Maica Ingles, ripped a single down the right-field line to score two more runs. Two batters later, and with the bases loaded once again,
Carlee Jo Clark muscled a base hit to left field that scored Toniolo and Ingles to pull the home team within a run.
The Huskies would take advantage of another pair of UIC miscues and add four hits and four more runs to double up the Flames, 10-5.
Both sides held serve with scoreless fourth frames before UIC struck again in the bottom of the fifth. Fleming hit a one-out single and two batters later, Crowley smashed her second double in as many at-bats to the gap in left-center field. This one rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Fleming to motor around from first base and trim the deficit by a run.
Meanwhile,
Alyssa McIntosh was keeping the Huskies in check and off the scoreboard. The sophomore fired four scoreless innings of relief for UIC and allowed only three hits to keep the Flames in the game and give the offense its shot in the last at-bat.
Notes
- Alyssa McIntosh did not start in the circle for the Flames, but she pitched a team-high 4.0 innings of relief.
- McIntosh matched a career high with five strikeouts.
- Tara McElligott was hit by two pitches Wednesday, bringing her total to 13 on the season. She now ranks second all-time at UIC with 34 HBP in her career; 2004 All-American Amanda Rivera is the all-time leader with 35.
- Maica Ingles had a pair of singles against NIU and she has reached safely in six consecutive games and in 16 of the last 17 overall.
- Carlee Jo Clark has recorded multiple RBI in four consecutive games for the Flames.
- Emma Crowley doubled twice for her first multi-hit game of the season. The sophomore drove in her first run since the opening weekend of the season against Stanford.
- Jojo Santiago made her first start at second base for the shorthanded Flames since March 25 against Robert Morris. Santiago had started as catcher in all games since then.
- Christina Toniolo made her first collegiate plate appearance, but it was not an official at-bat. She drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the second inning.
Up Next
- UIC will travel to Cleveland State for a three-game series on April 29-30.
- The Flames and Vikings are scheduled to play Friday at 2 p.m. CT, followed by a doubleheader Saturday at noon CT.
- UIC has won back-to-back Horizon League road series, taking two-of-three at Northern Kentucky (April 1-2) and Detroit Mercy (April 22-23).
