TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2024) — The UIC softball team received back-to-back strong pitching performances from graduate student Carlee Jo Clark (Carol Stream, Ill./Southern Illinois) and redshirt junior Alyssa McIntosh (Lancaster, Calif./Lancaster) on Friday at the USF Fonseca Memorial Tournament in Tampa. However, the Flames (0-9) couldn't muster enough offense to support their hurlers, falling to Hofstra by a 1-0 score in eight innings, followed by a narrow 2-0 loss to Power Five opponent Purdue.

COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH LYNN CURYLO
"We are getting better game to game. Our defense was solid, and our pitching was fantastic. Now all that we need is to score some runs."
 
GAME ONE (HOFSTRA - 1-0, 8 innings)

• Clark was superb in the circle for UIC, going all eight innings and not allowing an earned run while striking out six and yielding just four hits.
• An alert defensive play by the Flames helped stifle a third-inning threat. Hofstra tried to pull off a double steal, but junior second baseman JoJo Santiago (Channahon, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) cut down the Pride's Nicole Cancel at the plate for the second out before Clark induced a ground out to end the inning.
• Clark lined her second hit of the day in the bottom of the third, but was stranded.
• Junior Grace Fleming (Long Beach, Calif./Millikan) also collected two singles, reaching in the fourth and sixth innings.
• Hofstra secured the win in the eighth after the runner on second (via the international tiebreaker rule) advanced to third on a sacrifice and scored on a fielder's choice and throwing error.

 
GAME TWO (PURDUE - 2-0)

• Making her first start of the weekend, McIntosh posted her first complete game of the season, holding Purdue to just six hits and adding one strikeout during the first five innings.
• Fleming picked up her third hit of the day on a one-out base hit through the left side in the top of the first.
• The Flames put runners on base in each of the first four innings, but were not able to drive them home.
• Purdue finally broke the scoreless deadlock with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
• The Flames aimed to rally in the top of the seventh, starting when senior Anna Walker (Burnside, Ill./Warsaw) delivered her second hit of the game via a one-out single to center.
• Senior Emma Crowley (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) followed with a pinch-hit single to right on an 0-2 pitch to put the tying runs on first and second.
• Senior Larisa Villa (La Habra, Calif./La Habra) then drove a base hit to center (her second of the game), but Walker was tagged out at home.
• With two outs and two on, UIC had one final chance to draw even, but the Flames were retired on a foul pop to end the game.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• Fleming has had a strong showing in the batter's box this week in Tampa, boasting a .417 batting average and collecting hits in three of the Flames' four games to date.
• Clark has thrown 14 innings in the tournament, posting a 1.93 ERA while striking out 11 batters.
• Clark's two-hit performance in the batter's box during Friday's opener against Hofstra marked her first multi-hit game of the season.
• In her last two appearances (both this weekend in Tampa), McIntosh has allowed just two earned runs in 12 innings (a 1.17 ERA) against Power Five opponents Boston College and Purdue.
• The Flames are now 3-7 in the last 10 extra-inning games they've played in, with their last extra-inning victory coming on May 3, 2023, a 5-4 eight-inning verdict over Butler in the home finale at Flames Field.

 
UP NEXT FOR THE FLAMES
Due to impending inclement weather, the Flames' final game at the Fonseca Memorial Tournament, a rematch with Hofstra, has been moved up to 9:30 a.m. (CT) Saturday. Live stats will be available at UICFlames.com.
 
For more information, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_Softball and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_softball and @uicflames).

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