CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (April 20, 2024) – The UIC softball team (16-28, 9-10 MVC) tallied five of its eight hits in a four-run sixth inning, but fell 8-5 to UNI (23-15, 10-5 MVC) in a Saturday matinee at the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 
 
Junior Hailey Cowing (Torrance, Calif./West Torrance) went 2-for-3 in the game with an RBI single. Redshirt freshman Jazmyn Casas tallied two RBI behind a bunt single and a sacrifice fly. Juniors Larissa Ortiz (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville/Wisconsin) and Jojo Santiago (Channahon, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) each collected an RBI, while graduate student Carlee Jo Clark (Carol Stream, Ill./St. Francis/Southern Illinois) didn't allow a single hit in 2.2 innings in the circle and went 1-for-4 in the batter's box.
 
COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH LYNN CURLYO
 
"Yesterday, we had nine hits against the reigning MVC Pitcher of the Year in Samantha Heyer. Today we were down eight runs in the fourth inning, and we worked our way back to being one swing away from tying the game. This team continues to show grit throughout the entire lineup. Carlee Jo Clark did a great job at coming in and giving us a chance win the game."
 
GAME RECAP

• After UNI jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, UIC got on the board after a sacrifice fly off the bat of Casas gave UIC it's first run in the game.
• Clark enter the circle with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runners on. After getting UNI's Savanna Jemilo on a swinging strikeout, Clark forced Dylan Lamprecht to line out to right field to get the Flames out of the inning unscathed.
• After the Flames defense got out of the fifth with a 1-2-3 inning, senior Anna Walker (Burnside, Ill./Warsaw) opened the sixth with a bunt single. She later scored off a defensive miscue from the Panthers. 
• In the very next at-bat, Cowing hit a 1-0 pitch out to the left field grass to score senior Larisa Villa (La Habra, Calif./La Habra) from third. Casas followed that by beating out a bunt single, scoring Ortiz to cut the UIC deficit to 8-4.
• Cowing scored via a Santiago RBI sacrifice fly to plate UIC's fourth and final run of the inning and cut the Panthers' lead to three (8-5).
• Clark fulfilled her second consecutive 1-2-3 inning in the sixth, but UNI secured the win in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning of its own.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• Cowing currently leads UIC with a .344 batting average and has a hit in seven of the past eight games.
• Casas has extended her hitting streak to six games, with an RBI in four of those games.
• In back-to-back relief appearances this series, Clark has pitched 4.2 innings, striking out four, allowing two hits with only two runs scored.
• Sitting at 41 hits in the season, Villa has more hits than her entire first three seasons combined (36).

UP NEXT FOR THE FLAMES!
 
The series finale against UNI is slated for a noon (CT) first-pitch on Sunday at the Robinson-Dresser Complex in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available at UICFlames.com.
 
Fans are strongly encouraged to support NIL opportunities for UIC student-athletes through contributions to The Chicago Collective.
 
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).