DETROIT, MI (3/24/18) -- The University of Detroit Mercy softball team dropped a pair of games vs. UIC on Saturday afternoon. After the Titans claimed the lone game on Friday, both teams were back in action at Buysse Ballpark on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy.

On the day, Elizabeth Yager had one run scored, three hits and one walk, Courtney Gilbert had one run, two walks, two hits and one RBI, and Kara Vitale had one run, one hit, two RBI and one walk.

DETROIT MERCY 4 - UIC 5
In the bottom of the first inning, Gilbert led off with a single up the middle. That was followed by a fielder's choice from Sydney Pollock, which saw Gilbert forced out at second and a walk from Jordan Manno, which put runners on first and second with one out.

Savvy Ferstle singled through the left side, scoring Pollock and advancing Manno to second.

Kori Keyes would then reach first base on a fielder's choice, forcing Ferstle out at second base, but advancing Manno to third, leaving a runner in scoring position for Skylar Fairchild. She would single over the second baseman's head and into right field, extending the Titans lead to 2-0.

The Flames would answer with three runs of their own in the top of the third, taking the lead by a score of 3-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, with two outs, Fairchild would hit a double that short hopped the wall in right field, putting her in scoring position. That would make no difference for junior Kara Vitale, who stepped up and cranked a two run home run over the left center field fence, regaining the lead for the Titans, 4-3.

UIC would answer immediately in the top of the sixth, scoring one run and tying the game at 4-4. Then, in the top of the seventh, they would add another, taking the lead by a score of 5-4.

In the bottom of the seventh, Vitale would draw a walk and Maddy Scarsella would lay down a sacrifice bunt advancing her to second with only one out, but the red, white and blue rally came up just short, as they dropped game one of the doubleheader by a score of 5-4.

Liz Murphy got the start on the mound, going six innings, giving up four earned runs, three walks and five strikeouts. Ashley Mauser would take the loss, with one inning pitched, surrendering one run (zero earned).

Detroit Mercy 3 - UIC 7
Game two would be a pitching duel, until the Titans finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Pollock would be hit by a pitch, and steal second, putting her in scoring position for Gilbert, who would single up the middle, breaking the deadlock and giving the Titans a 1-0 lead.

Gilbert would advance to second base on a wild pitch, and Elizabeth Yager walked, followed by a single from Manno. Ferstle would then fly out to right field, driving in one run on the sacrifice fly, and Manno would get caught up in a pickle, allowing Yager to sneak home and extend the Titan lead to 3-0.

The Flames would tack on two runs in the top of the sixth, cutting the Titans lead to 3-2 headed into the final inning of action.

In the top of the seventh, the Flames would get a pair of home runs that would propel them to victory over the Titans by a final score of 7-3.

Mauser got the start on the mound and was assessed the loss after 6.1 innings pitched, scattering nine hits, five runs (four earned), one walk and four strikeouts, taking the loss in the game.

Lindsay Brandon would come in in relief, going 0.2 innings, with one hit, two runs (zero earned), one walk and one strikeout.

ON DECK
The Titans will to Youngstown, Ohio for three games against the Penguins on March 30-31, before returning back to Michigan for a three game series against Metro Series Rival Oakland University on April 3-4.