CHICAGO, Ill. - The Cleveland State Vikings softball team dropped a pair of road games to UIC on Saturday, stretching their current skid to 10 games while wrapping up an eight-game road trip.
GAME ONE - Flames 12, Vikings 0 (5 innings)
UIC plated all 12 of its runs across the second and third innings as it notched its second consecutive run rule victory over the Vikings to open the day.
Kiera Frascone led off the contest with a single before taking second on a wild pitch and stealing third. Frascone attempted to score on Aly Packish's squeeze bunt but was tagged out by the Flames catcher.
Starter Hanna Griffin cruised through the opening frame, retiring three of the four batters she faced, before being charged with nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits in the second inning and third innings.
Griffin gave way to Torrie Jenkins, who manned the circle over the third and fourth frames and did not allow an earned run while surrendering four hits and striking out one.
Frascone went 2-3 with a stolen base at the top of the lineup while Becky Hurosky and Jenna Deang both recorded hits for the Vikes.
GAME TWO - Flames 4, Vikings 2
Led by Betz's strong effort in the circle, the Vikes battled to the last out in the fourth and final game of the series.
Cleveland State took a 2-0 lead in the opening inning as four consecutive batters reached base with two outs. Mackenzie Tucker started the rally, drawing a walk on a 10-pitch at-bat after fighting back from an 0-2 count. Tucker beat out the throw to second base when Courtney Fernette reached on a fielder's choice before coming around to score on Hurosky's RBI single through the right side of the infield.
Jenkins drove Fernette home another RBI single to make it 2-0 Vikings before the Flames ended the inning with a punchout.
UIC threatened with a pair of runners in scoring position in the bottom of the first, but Betz's first strikeout of the afternoon maintained the Cleveland State lead.
The Flames pulled ahead with three runs in the third before tacking on another in the fourth, making it a 4-2 ballgame.
The Green and White moved runners into scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings but could not produce a timely hit as UIC held on for a series sweep.
Hurosky doubled and singled to finish the day with a 3-5 clip while Aly Packish logged an infield hit as a pinch hitter to lead off the fifth inning.
Betz was tagged with four runs on six hits while striking out six and walking six in her seventh complete game of the campaign. The junior entered the season having gone the distance in only one previous start.
UP NEXT
The Green and White return to Viking Field for a four-game set against Green Bay on April 23-24.
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