GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2024) – The UIC softball team (4-10) began its day with a 3-1 victory against Lafayette, but fell short in extra innings against Colgate in a 5-4 battle on the second day of the T-Mobile Tournament Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

Graduate student Carlee Jo Clark (Carol Stream, Ill./Southern Illinois) earned a complete game victory against Lafayette, pitching seven innings, allowing only one run and striking out four. Against Colgate in the batter's box, Clark collected two hits and an RBI.

Senior Larisa Villa (La Habra, Calif./La Habra) batted .714 with five hits, including two doubles and an RBI. Junior Grace Fleming (Long Beach, Calif./Millikan) collected three hits and scored twice over the Flames' two games.

COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH LYNN CURYLO

"It was not the outcome that we hoped for in our second game, but I am happy to see different players stepping up in key moments. We are going to come back even stronger tomorrow."

GAME ONE (3-1 UIC)

• In her fifth start in the circle for the Flames, Clark kept Lafayette quiet in the first two innings of play, walking one batter and ending the bottom of the second with her first strikeout of the game.
• In the top of the third, senior Larisa Villa (La Habra, Calif./La Habra) opened the inning with a double to left field. After a single by Clark moved Villa to third base, the senior scored on a fielder's choice from Anna Walker (Burnside, Ill./Parkland College) to give UIC the early 1-0 lead.
• The Flames extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth after junior Grace Fleming (Long Beach, Calif./Millikan) scored off a Lafayette fielding error. 
• A sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning from sophomore Gianna Richy (Chicago, Ill./Marist) increased the Flames lead to 3-0.
• In the bottom of the fifth, the Leopards scored their lone run of the game to cut the UIC lead to two. However, the Flames got out of the inning after freshman left fielder Atina'eleila Fonoti (Mililani, Hawaii/Hawaii) threw a dart to senior catcher Emma Crowley (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) to tag out a Lafayette runner at home before she crossed the plate.
• Clark closed out her complete game with a 1-2-3 inning, getting her fourth and final strikeout to end the game.

GAME TWO  (5-4, 8 innings COL)

• After Colgate struck first with a run in the top of the first, Clark tied the game with an RBI single, scoring Fleming from second base. Clark later scored in the inning after junior Emma Gumont's (Warren, Ohio/Notre Dame Prep College) ground ball was bobbled by Colgate's third baseman to force the error.
• Aftetr Colgate regained the lead off a two-run home run in the top of the fourth, redshirt junior Alyssa McIntosh (Lancaster, Calif./Lancaster) came into the game in relief, allowing no hits and a walk in her first two innings of work.
• The Flames tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth aftter a single down the right field line from Villa scored junior Jo Jo Santiago (Chanahon, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy).
• In the top of the seventh, McIntosh ended a 1-2-3 inning by striking out Colgate's Rachel Carney for her first strikeout of the game.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Villa connected on her second hit of the game with a double to right center, but was stranded on third to keep the score tied 3-3.
• Colgate jumped out to the 5-3 lead to start extra innings, but the Flames quickly responded after Walker smacked a ball down the middle to score Fonoti from second, cutting the Raiders' lead to one. After a sacrifice bunt and a ground out moved the senior over to third base, the Raiders secured the win after forcing Santiago to ground out second base for the final out of the game.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• Clark's complete game is her fifth at UIC and her first since the Flames' 5-0 victory against IUPUI in May 2022.
• Fleming has 15 hits this season following today's contest, having collected a hit in 11 games this season. With a .357 batting average, Fleming ranks 12th amongst all batters in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Saturday's loss to the Raiders snapped a three-game win streak by the Flames. UIC is 3-1 against Patriot League opponents in 2024.
• The Flames are still on the hunt for an extra innings victory. UIC is 0-4 in extra innings contests this season. 

UP NEXT FOR THE FLAMES!

UIC concludes its time at the T-Mobile Tournament Sunday when the team takes on No. 14 Florida at 10:30 a.m. CT at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The game will be available to listen to via a radio stream on FloridaGators.com. Live stats will also 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).