CHICAGO (April 5, 2024) – Graduate student Alannah Cran (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh as the UIC softball team (11-24, 4-6 MVC) won 6-5 against Illinois State (12-25, 6-6 MVC) Friday evening at Flames Field.

Cran finished the game batting 3-for-4 with three singles and an RBI. Senior Emma Crowley (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) and junior Grace Fleming (Long Beach, Calif./Millikan) collected a two RBI. Freshman Cameran Rios (Effingham, Ill./St. Anthony) had tallied two hits and one RBI.

Graduate student Christina Toniolo (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) pitched her third consecutive complete game in the circle. She threw seven innings, walking three and striking out two batters.

COMMENT FROM GRADUATE STUDENT ALANNAH CRAN

"Going into the at bat in the seventh, I knew the pressure was on the pitcher, and I had to make her throw strikes. I had to make her throw something that I can hit deep into the infield or into the outfield. We had JoJo Santiago on third base, and she is fast. I knew it was the perfect opportunity. Overall, it was just a great team win. I thought we made great plays and I thought Christina Toniolo pitched well. I am just really proud of this team."

GAME RECAP

• After Illinois State started the game with a  2-0 lead, back-to-back RBI singles from Fleming and Rios in the bottom of the first tied the game at 2-2.
• Toniolo settled in the circle in the top of the second, collecting her second consecutive strikeout to end the frame.
• Illinois State regained the lead, 4-2, in the middle innings before the Flames retaliated with a three-run bottom of the sixth. After senior Anna Walker (Burnside, Ill./Warsaw) and Rios began the inning with back-to-back singles and Walker scored on an RBI single to center field from Fleming. After a Redbirds pitching change, Crowley collected a two-RBI single scoring Fleming and Rios to give UIC a one-run lead (5-4) entering the top of the seventh.
• A two-out Redbirds home run tied the game in the top of the inning. Junior JoJo Santiago (Channahon, Ill./Joliet Catholic Academy) opened the bottom frame with a walk, then soon moved over to second on a passed ball. A line shot out to right field from graduate student Carlee Jo Clark (Carol Stream, Ill./St. Francis/Southern Illinois) moved Santiago to third base.
• Cran stepped into the batter's box with one out, and after the count was pushed to 3-2, the slap-hitting outfielder hit a hard ground ball past the reach of the Illinois State middle infield to secure to Flames victory.  

• UIC's 6-5 victory over Illinois State is its first win at Flames Field of the 2024 season.
• After her three-hit performance, Cran has 18 hits on the season and a team-leading .316 batting average.
• With her eighth complete game this season, Toniolo has thrown 36 complete games in her career at UIC.
• UIC has won three of its last four contests.

UP NEXT FOR THE FLAMES!

UIC returns to Flames Field Saturday for a doubleheader to finish out its series against Illinois State on Special Olympics Day. The first pitch of game one is scheduled at 2 p.m. (CT) with Game Two set to follow thirty minutes after Game One. Each game of the doubleheader will be available to stream 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).
 

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