CHICAGO (3/31/17) – The University of Detroit Mercy softball team dropped a 9-3 decision on the road to UIC on a chilly Friday afternoon of Horizon League softball from Flames Field in the Windy City.
The Flames (4-0) scored three runs in the first and added runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take control of the game. Detroit Mercy (2-2) scored three in the sixth to cut UIC's lead to 7-3, but the Flames would get two back in the bottom of the frame and threw a clean seventh to earn the 9-3 victory.
Five Titans picked up hits on the day, with sophomore
Courtney Gilbert continuing to swing a red-hot bat after leading the offense with three hits in the game. Gilbert went 3-for-4 with a double and run scored and extended her hitting streak to nine straight.
During Gilbert's current nine-game hitting streak, the sophomore is a sizzling 15-for-30 from the plate for a .500 batting average. The stretch has pushed her average of .283 during the first 18 games of the season up nearly .100 points to a season-high of .370.
Junior
Savvy Ferstle went 1-for-4 with a run scored and senior
Alyssa James was 1-for-3 with a run and a walk. Sophomore
Jordan Manno picked up a RBI after going 1-for-3 with a walk and sophomore
Kara Vitale recorded the Titans final hit in her lone plate appearance.
Freshman
Liz Murphy got the start in the circle and allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out four across four innings of work. Freshmen
Ellie Boteler and
Cami Sinclair appeared in relief and combined to allow three runs in the final two innings.
The Titans threatened in the first and third innings but could not capitalize and stranded a pair of runners in each frame. Detroit Mercy picked up four hits in a three-run sixth, but UIC was able to escape the jam and leave three Titans on base.
UIC held a 12-7 edge in hits and went 8-for-19 with runners on base. On the other side, the Titans went 6-for-18 with runners on and stranded 10 for the day.
The Titans fall to 2-2 in the Horizon League with the loss, while the Flames improve to 4-0.
Detroit Mercy will look to bounce back during a doubleheader against the Flames on Saturday. Game one is scheduled for a 2 p.m. EST start, with game two scheduled for approximately 4 p.m.
