May 9, 2009

Cleveland State Box Score

PENDLETON, Ind. - After opening Saturday with a 9-5 victory over Wright State, the UIC softball team played a fantastic game from start to finish, defeating Cleveland State, 8-4, at the 2009 Horizon League Championships, forcing a winner-take-all title game on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. CST.

"The team did a great job of playing "in the moment" today," said head coach Michelle Venturella. "It was a total team effort from the first pitch to the final out, and we are excited to play in tomorrow's championship. It's what we have worked for all year."

Championship Game: UIC 8, Cleveland State 4
Much like Friday night's contest against the Vikings, Cleveland State (34-16) jumped out to a lead in the first, as Amanda Houchin blasted a two-run shot over the right field wall of Legends Field after Christa Coppus opened the contest with a walk.

But the Flames (27-25) answered right back in the bottom of the inning, as senior Sarah Clynes, who had been hitless in the past two games at the league tournament, kicked off the outing with a double deep to left field. With one out, Stephanie Chavez jacked a homer over centerfield to tie the contest up at two.

The wind all day had been constantly blowing out at around 20 mph, gusting upwards of 35 mph, and UIC made the most of the elements both offensively and defensively. Clynes, starting in left field, would make an incredible attempt at a foul ball in the top of the second which would slide her halfway under the fence. The senior would return to the same spot to close out the inning with a catch in foul territory by the Vikings bullpen.

In the bottom of the second, Alicia Abbott hit a two-out homer over the center field wall to give the Flames a one-run lead.

But Houchin would strike again in the third, with another two-run homer in the opposite direction, putting the Vikings up for the final time in the contest.

Clynes would open the third with a triple, and Melinda Macias drove her home with a single up the middle for a 4-4 game. After Macias, Chavez and Brooke Frydendall would get on base with outfield singles, and the Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, Amanda Macenko, was chased from the game. Her replacement, Brittany Bate, would walk Melissa Marinacci to give the Flames the 5-4 advantage, and Ashley Hewett's sacrifice fly brought in Chavez for the 6-4 Flames lead.

Cleveland State was kept at bay by a fantastic defensive display by UIC's infield. Frydendall made numerous maneuvers at the shortstop position, including a pair of diving lineout grabs and an impressive double play inning ender in the fourth.

The Flames would put up two more in the fourth, as Carly DeMarco opened the inning with a speedy infield double, and moved to third off a wild pitch, which also moved Clynes to second after she reached on a walk. A two-out outfield single from Marinacci would drive the pair home for the 8-4 lead.

Marinacci kept the Vikings off the board in the sixth with a great leaping lineout along the rightfield line to close out the inning with the Flames ahead by four.

Cleveland would not close out the game quietly. With the top of the lineup at bat in the seventh, the first two Vikings reached on hits, and Houchin would be walked to load up the bases with no outs. But supburb pitching from Clynes struck out the first batter, and the game came to a close with a double play that saw Christie Seddon force out the runner at third before throwing across the infield to Marinacci for the Flames victory.

Clynes would go 2-for-3 with three runs, and Marinacci would drive in three with the 2 RBI single and the walk in the third. Clynes would give up only five hits and no runs for her eighth win of the season (8-14).