Penguin News
Softball Wins Nightcap to Earn Split Against UIC
by YSU
Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 8:50 am
With the split, the Penguins have won 11 of their last 13 games and improve to 18-13 overall and 5-2 in the Horizon League. The Flames are now 20-12 overall and in the league, just a half-game ahead of the Penguins in the league standings.
With the game knotted a 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth, junior Maria Lacatena, who went 3-for-3 on the day and 2-for-2 in game two, drilled a double to straight away center field to lead off the inning. Senior Katie Smallcomb's sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Alexa Schmidt to third, and, after a strikeout, Patonis laced the first pitch she saw to left field plated Schmidt with the go-ahead run.
Junior Caitlyn Minney (10-4) retired the Flames in order in the top of the seventh for the win. Minney allowed just five hits and struck out four and retired the final seven batters she face.
The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 in the first on Lacatena's single up the middle that scored Dowd and Miranda Castiglione. Dowd led off the frame with a single to left field and advanced to third on a deep fly out to left by Cali Mikovich. Castilgione's bunt single moved Dowd to third and her stolen base put both runners in scoring position for Lacatena.
The Flames scored twice in the second and once in the third to take a 3-2 lead through three-and-a-half innings. In the bottom of the fourth, back-to-back doubles by Smallcomb and Brittney Moffatt gave the Penguins a 4-3 edge.
In the opener, the Penguins committed two errors that led to three unearned runs and stranded 12 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded twice.
Cali Mikovich went 2-for-4 to lead the Penguins offense.
The Penguins and Flames are slated to close out the series with a single game, Saturday, at Noon.
