Des Moines, Iowa. – For the series opener, the UIC softball team and the Drake University Bulldogs got action going with an evening Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) contest on Friday, April 18th. Both teams recorded a run in the first inning before the Flames jumped ahead and never looked back in the third. With Jasmine Whorley recording the final out off a career-high of fifth strikeout, the Flames (8-36, 4-14) earned a 5-2 victory over the Bulldogs (18-25, 9-10)
RECAP
The Flames came out hot, picking up one run in the first inning. After an out to begin the inning, Hailey Cowing tripled to right field, getting in scoring position and extending her hitting streak to eight games. Cowing would later score, putting the Flames on the board, off a Larissa Ortiz RBI. The Flames' lead didn't last long, as the Bulldogs tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning off an RBI double. Following a scoreless second inning, the Flames took the lead in the third and never looked back. An Ortiz RBI single put the Flames on top as Cameran Rios made it home safely. In the top of the fourth, the Flames extended their lead with three more runs. With runners on first and second, Rios recorded an RBI single to left field, scoring Sanchez and advancing Grace Fleming to third before taking second herself due to an error. Fleming and Rios then made their way home on a Cowing RBI double, giving the Flames a 5-1 lead. After no runs in the fifth, the Bulldogs would cut into the Flames' lead with one run in the sixth, but the Flames were able to hang on and secure a 5-2 victory.
The box score and play-by-play can be found here.
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UP NEXT
The Flames and Bulldogs will be back in action tomorrow, April 19th, as they compete in a doubleheader to close out the MVC series. Game one will begin at 1:30 PM, with game two to follow. Live streams for both games will be available on ESPN+, while live stats will be available on UICFlames.com.
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