Softball Advances to Championship Game with Comeback Win Over UIC

Friday, May 11

Cleveland, OH

6:00 PM

Wright State University

24-33

UIC

20-32

Wright State

UIC

Softball Advances to Championship Game with Comeback Win Over UIC

5/11/2007 12:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: WSU Athletic Media Relations

Down 3-0 after four innings, the Wright State softball team pulled off a comeback against UIC, tying the game with three in the fifth and tallying the winning run in the sixth to defeat the Flames 4-3 in the winner's bracket final of the Horizon League Tournament Friday night in Cleveland.

UIC (20-32) took advantage of a Raider error in scoring three times in the third, the first run coming on a RBI single from Brooke Frydendall and Melissa Marinacci followed with a two-run double to left center.

Flame pitcher Sarah Clynes had held the WSU offense in check over the first four innings, allowing just two hits, but the Raiders came alive in the fifth and, like UIC in the third, benefited from an error.

With one out, Allison Cox and Malerie Klingler singled and Briauna Birl reached on an error to load the bases. A Michelle Logan grounder to second knocked in the first run and Kristen Bradshaw tied the game with a double off the fence in left.

The Flames posed a major threat in their half of the fifth as they loaded the bases with one out, but Jamie Perkins (9-20) came in relief of starter Cox at that point and pitched out of the jam by inducing Stephanie Chavez to pop to short and struck out Mallory Studzinski.

Wright State scored what turned out to be the winning run in the sixth as Perkins led off with a double to right center and scored one out later as Jacqueline Macy dropped a single along the right field line.

UIC had a runner on base in the sixth and two runners on with two outs in the seventh, but Perkins retired Studzinski on a foul out to end the game.

Perkins and Klingler each had two hits to pace the Raider offense.

Wright State, now 24-33 on the season, advances to the championship game for the first time since winning the title in 2003, which also took place in Cleveland. The Raiders, who entered this year's tournament as the seventh seed, will take on either #2 seed Cleveland State, #4 seed UIC or #6 seed Butler in the championship Saturday at noon.