Las Vegas, Nev. – For the final day of the UNLV Leadoff Classic, the UIC softball team took on the Purdue Boilermakers for their second meeting of the opening weekend. Hoping for a different outcome from their first meeting, the Flames fought hard against the Boilermakers (3-1). Trailing 4-0 after the third inning, the Flames found momentum.
Larissa Ortiz drilled a two-run home run to deep center field in the third to bring the Flames within one before
Ari O'Connell tied the game with her first collegiate homerun in the fifth. Then, with the fate of the game in their hands,
Emily Brecht walked the game off with a single to shallow center field, scoring a run and giving the Flames a 5-4 comeback victory. The Flames end their opening weekend going 2-3.
Purdue got the action going in the first inning with an RBI-double to left center field, taking a quick 1-0 lead over the Flames. After a scoreless second inning, the Boilermakers added three runs in the third, taking a 4-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Flames found energy.
Grace Taylor got the inning going as the leadoff batter, tripling to right field. Taylor then scored on a wild pitch for the Flames first run of the game. Following two outs,
Nina Pesare singled through the left side to get on base.
Larissa Ortiz then stepped up to bat and hit a two-run home run, her first of the season, to deep center field, bringing the Flames within one as they closed out the inning trailing the Boilermakers 4-3.
Ari O'Connell joined in on the fun. As the leadoff hitter, O'Connell hit a deep solo home run to center field, her first of her collegiate career, to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth inning. In a team effort, the Flames got out of the top half of the seventh inning without allowing the boilermakers a run. With the game lying in their fate, the Flames started the bottom half of the inning with
Sophie Gerochi singling down the left field line. Gerochi then advanced to second on a
Cameran Rios sac-bunt before advancing to third on an O'Connell ground out. Then, with two outs and Gerochi in scoring position,
Emily Brecht stepped up to bat. On the first pitch she faced, Brecht singled the ball to shallow center field, bringing Gerochi home for the walk off, 5-4 comeback victory.
The box score and play-by-play can be found
here
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UP NEXT
The Flames will briefly head back to Chicago before flying out for their next tournament. UIC now turns their focus towards the Carl Vincent Insurance Invitational, hosted by McNeese State in Lake Charles, La. Games will take place between February 13-15, as the Flames will play against three teams in five games. Action will begin for the Flames on Friday when they take on the Lamar Cardinals at 1:30 p.m. CT and the McNeese State Cowgirls at 6:30 p.m. CT. Live stats will be available on
UICFlames.com.
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