May 11, 2007

Box Score

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fourth-seeded UIC (20-31) rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, then plated a run in the 12th inning to defeat top-seeded Loyola (21-20), 2-1, in winner's bracket action at the Horizon League Softball Championship at Viking Field this afternoon. The Ramblers will now face No. 2 seed and host Cleveland State in an elimination game at approximately 5 p.m. Eastern this afternoon.

In a classic pitcher's duel, Loyola freshman Amy Solava battled UIC's Sarah Clynes, with both pitchers going the distance as they combined to allow only 12 hits in the game.

Loyola finally broke through against Clynes in the bottom of the fifth inning when Solava led off with a single and pinch runner Stephanie Cihlar later scored on Ashley Mitchell's two-out double to give the Ramblers a 1-0 lead.

Solava kept the Flames in check and did not allow a hit in the contest until Mallory Studzinski led off the top of the seventh inning with her first career homer, to even the score at 1-1.

Both teams had chances to take the lead early on in extra innings as UIC stranded a pair of runners on in the ninth, while Loyola put runners on first and second with one out in the 10th, but was unable to score.

Brittany Dixon led off the top of the 12th with a triple to right center and would score two outs later on Brooke Frydendall's bloop single to right field, to put UIC on top, 2-1. Clynes was able to retire Loyola in order in the bottom of the inning to send the Flames to a winner's bracket showdown with No. 7 seed Wright State later this evening.

Solava was sensational but wound up the hard-luck loser in the game, despite allowing only four hits and two runs, while striking out seven, in the complete-game effort. Kat Krause, Ellen Kresl and Solava recorded a pair of hits each to lead Loyola's offensive attack.