Skip To Main Content

UIC Athletics

thevalley
Larissa Ortiz
Chris Kohley
10
Winner UIC UIC 10-23, 3-5 MVC
3
Evansville UE 9-24, 4-6 MVC
Winner
UIC UIC
10-23, 3-5 MVC
10
Final
3
Evansville UE
9-24, 4-6 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
UIC UIC 2 4 3 0 0 0 1 10 13 0
Evansville UE 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 10 0

W: Toniolo, Christina (6-6) L: Brenton, Megan (5-7)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Uses Offensive Eruption For Saturday Win at Evansville

Alannah Cran and Larrisa Ortiz go deep in Flames’ 10-3 victory

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (March 30, 2024) – The UIC softball team (10-23, 3-5 MVC) piled up 13 hits in a 10-3 Missouri Valley Conference victory over Evansville (9-24, 4-6 MVC) on Saturday afternoon on the Tri-City Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium in Evansville, Ind. With the win, UIC has clinched the weekend series with the Purple Aces and earned its fifth consecutive win over Evansville.
 
Graduate student Alannah Cran (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, while junior Larissa Ortiz (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville/Wisconsin) added a pinch-hit home run. Senior Larisa Villa (La Habra, Calif./La Habra) and freshman Siena Stickney (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capo Valley) also collected a pair of RBI apiece.
 
In the circle, graduate student Christina Toniolo (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) tossed her second complete game in as many outings this weekend, striking out four and walking three.
 
COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH LYNN CURYLO
"Christina Toniolo had another great day in the circle. We had six different players plate runners today! Happy to see Larissa Ortiz come off the bench and give us an insurance run late in the game! It's a great day to be a Flame!
 
COMMENT FROM GRADUATE STUDENT ALANNAH CRAN
"I had Carlee out on second with one out, so I was thinking line drive all day. She ended up giving me an elevated pitch and it worked out in my favor. I think the team did a great job of sticking to our offensive approach today and working together to get those runs in. Christina came out of day two with another fantastic game and all around it was a great team win. I'm super proud of this team for coming out hot on day two and taking the series."
 
GAME RECAP
  • After a walk from graduate student Carlee Jo Clark (Carol Stream, Ill./ St. Francis/Southern Illinois) opened the game, Cran took a 3-1 pitch over the left-center field wall for a two-run home run to give UIC an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
  • The Flames added four insurance runs in the bottom of the second behind RBI infield singles from Clark and Clan, followed by a two-run double off the bat of Villa.
  • Savvy baserunning from junior Hailey Cowing (Torrance, Calif./West Torrance) and senior Emma Crowley (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) resulted in both baserunners scoring on a bunt from Stickney in the bottom of the third. The shortstop scored later in the inning when her classmate Cameran Rios (Effingham, Ill./ St. Anthony) dropped an RBI bloop single to left.
  • Evansville tallied a pair of hits in the bottom of the third, but Toniolo forced an inning-ending ground out to Stickney to get UIC out of the inning unscathed.
  • After Evansville scored three unanswered runs in the middle innings, Ortiz came to the plate in a pinch-hitting role with one out in the top of the seventh. The junior connected on a 0-2 pitch, depositing it over the left field wall to extend UIC's lead to 10-3.
 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
  • UIC's 10 runs were the most the Flames scored in a game since April 23, 2022, when they posted a 13-3 win at Detroit Mercy.
  • Cran's two-run home run is the third of her UIC career and her first since April 16, 2021, against Cleveland State.
  • Ortiz's pinch-hit home run was the first of her collegiate career. The Flames now have six players with a home run this season.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE FLAMES
The Flames will look to sweep the Purple Aces for the second consecutive season when they meet in the final game of their weekend series at noon (CT) Sunday on Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available on 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).
 
#ChicagosCollegeTeam | #FireUpFlames
 
 
Print Friendly Version