Softball Defeats UIC in Regular Season Finale

Sunday, May 9

Chicago, IL

1:00 PM

Wright State University

26-27-1, 16-8

UIC

22-33, 15-9

Wright State

UIC

5/9/2010 12:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: WSU Athletic Media Relations

Wright State clinched the #2 seed for this week's Horizon League Softball Tournament Sunday as the Raiders wrapped up the regular season with a 5-1 win over UIC at Flames Field.

UIC opened the scoring with a run in the first, but that would be the only run the Flames would score on the day as three WSU pitchers -- Melanie Heyne, Allison Cox and Sharon Palma -- combined to allow just four hits and a walk while striking out two.

The Raiders tied it in the second as Mollie Berry singled up the middle, stole second and Allison Cox followed with a double to left center. Wright State took the lead for good an inning later as Kristen Bradshaw walked, went to second on an error, advanced to third on a China Frost hit and scored on Justine Shilt's sacrifice fly to left.

WSU then broke the game open with three more runs in the fourth. Berry led off with an infield hit, stole second and went to third on a Katie Kine hit. After Kine stole second, Briauna Birl reached on an error as Berry scored. Bradshaw then followed with a double to center to plate both Kine and Birl and make it 5-1.

UIC posed a threat in the sixth as two reached on errors with one out, but Palma pitched out of the threat with a pop up and a ground out. The Flames then had a runner at second in the seventh, but a fly out ended the game.

Berry was a perfect four-for-four to lead the Raider offense with three stolen bases and two runs scored.

With the win, Wright State (26-27-1, 16-8 Horizon) finished second in the Horizon League standings, tying the 2000 squad for the highest conference finish in school history, and the 16 league wins also tied last year's 16-8 mark for the most ever.

The Raiders now turn their attention to the Horizon League Tournament, which begins on Thursday, May 13, as WSU faces the winner of #3 UIC and #6 Butler in the winner's bracket semifinals at 4:30 at Cleveland State's Viking Field. The tournament continues through Saturday with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Wright State has won the last two tournaments (2003, 2007) held at Viking Field, defeating Cleveland State in the finals on both occasions.