CHICAGO – For their 2026 home opener, the UIC softball team welcomed the Drake Bulldogs to Flames Field for their third Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) series of the year. Opening the series with a doubleheader, the Flames picked up back-to-back wins. Game one saw the Flames defeat the Bulldogs 6-2, while game two saw a 5-3 victory. The Flames move to 14-14-1, 4-4 in conference play while the Bulldogs move to 6-16, 0-5 in conference play.
GAME ONE
Drake got the action going with an RBI single in the top of the first before UIC took a one-run lead in the bottom of the inning. With runners in scoring position,
Larissa Ortiz hit a sac-line out to right field, bringing home
Nina Pesare to tie the game. In the next at-bat,
Ari O'Connell hit an RBI single to right field, scoring
Sam Tourtillott to give the Flames a 2-1 lead. Following a scoreless second inning, the Flames added a run in the bottom of the third. After doubling to right field and stealing third, Tourtillott made her way home on an Ortiz RBI single up the middle. The fourth inning would come and go before action picked back up in the fifth. The inning saw the final runs of the game as the Bulldogs added one before the Flames picked up three. Leading by one entering the bottom of the fifth, the Flames looked to add on insurance runs. With a runner on second and one out, Ortiz collected her second hit of the game with a RBI single to center field, scoring Pesare. Then, on the first pitch she faced, O'Connell sent a two-run homer to center field, extending the Flames lead over the Bulldogs to 6-2 to help secure the first victory of the day.
Jasmine Whorley earned the complete game victory for her 11
th win of the season.
The box score and play-by-play can be found
here
GAME TWO
The Flames got the action going early, beginning with a inning ending double-play to get out of a bases-loaded situation in the top of the first inning. The momentum carried over into the bottom of the inning when
Cameran Rios and
Nina Pesare made their way home for the Flames first two runs of the contest. After a quiet second and third inning, the Flames added their third run in the bottom of the fourth off a
Ari O'Connell RBI single. Action picked up in the fifth inning, with the Bulldogs tying the contest at 3-3 following a three-run homer to center field. With the game tied, the Flames continued to work.
Emily Brecht led off the inning with a leadoff triple to right field before
Grace Taylor followed with a single to the pitcher. A Pesare sac-bunt sent Taylor to second before
Sam Tourtillott was walked, loading the bases. With two outs, Ortiz hit a two-RBI single to right field, putting the Flames on top 5-3, ultimately leading to their second victory of the day.
Trinity Brandhorst earned the win for her third of the season.
Jasmine Whorley earned her first save of the season.
The box score and play-by-play can be found
here
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
UP NEXT
The Flames and Bulldogs close out the series Saturday with a solo contest. First pitch will be at 2:00 p.m. CT on Flames Field. There will be no livestream available. Live stats will be available on
UICFlames.com while an audio broadcast will be available on the
Flames Network.
The Flames will be hosting Sparky Saturday, Bark in the Park, and an Autographed Poster Giveaway.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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
