CSU/UIC (Game One) Box Score

CSU/UIC (Game Two) Box Score

Contact: Tim Ertle

Follow CSU on TWITTER 
Follow CSU Softball on TWITTER
CSU Athletics on YouTube

CHICAGO, Ill. - After 26 games spread out all over the country, the Vikings opened Horizon League play on Saturday (March 24) with a split against defending tournament champion UIC. The Vikings won the first game 3-1 before dropping the second contest, 8-1.

The Vikings are now 8-20 overall while UIC is 13-14. Both teams are 1-1 in the Horizon League.

In the first game, CSU starting pitcher Sara Shields was handed the lead in the top of the second inning when Dara Toman belted a solo shot - her ninth round-tripper of the season.

The Flames threatened in the home portion of the second inning with back-to-back singles to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved two runners into scoring position, but solid infield defense and a strikeout helped Shields escape unharmed.

Neither team scored again until the top of the sixth inning when the Vikings tacked on two runs to widen the gap.

Afton Allred started the sixth with a single off UIC starter Devin Miller. Jasmin Filiaggi came in to run for Allred and she advanced a station on a ball Alicia Nichols put in play that was booted by Miller. 

After an infield pop out, Shields helped her own cause with a single down the right field line to load the bases for Toman.

She flied out to center field for the second out of the inning, butAndrea Nagy had a clutch base hit up the middle that brought in both Filiaggi and Nichols.

Nena Doran singled which moved Shields to third and Nagy up to second but CSU left the bags packed in the sixth.

The defending Horizon League champions wouldn't go easy and tacked on a run in the seventh. A one-out walk to Melissa Preish hurt Shields as two straight singles brought the UIC center fielder around to score.

With two on and the winning run at the plate, Shields induced a fielder's choice on the infield and a fly out to right field to strand two runners.

Shields went the distance for the third time this season while improving to 6-4. The first year Viking, who arrived on campus after a year at Lake Erie College, lowered her ERA to 3.07. She did allow eight hits and four walks but was able to work her way around trouble and minimize the damage.

Miller took the loss for UIC to fall to 8-9. She allowed seven hits and didn't walk a batter while recording eight strikeouts. Of the three runs Miller allowed, only the solo shot to Toman was charged as an earned run.

In the second game of the day, the UIC bats came alive. Three homers helped the Flames get to CSU starting pitcher Megan Bashakfor five runs and knock her from the game after just 2.1 innings.

Kelsi Reed came in to relieve Bashak and allowed two runs - neither of which were earned - over 1.2 innings. Alex Radjenworked the final two innings and allowed one run.

UIC starting pitcher Ashley Hewett hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning and the next batter, Jenna Marsalli, followed with a solo shot to make it a 3-0 game.

A two-run homer by Coryn Schmit in the bottom of the third widened the gap and made it a 5-0 game.

UIC tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth inning, all with two outs. The Vikings made a pair of errors in the inning that aided the UIC attack.

Bashak put the Vikings on the board in the fifth when she laced a two-out double and eventually scored on a passed ball.

The Flames added a final run in the sixth to decide the final margin.

Bashak took the loss and fell to 2-11 in the circle while Hewett, who allowed just the one unearned run, improved to 4-5. She allowed four hits and walked five while recording five strikeouts.

The rubber match will take place tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. EST. The UIC Sports Information Department will provide free audio, available here. Fans can also follow the action with live stats, available here.