Horizon League Softball Championship Game Five: UIC 2, Valparaiso 0

May 8, 2008

CHICAGO - The University of Illinois at Chicago shutout Valparaiso University 2-0 in game five of the Horizon League Championship at Loyola Softball Park. The Flames will play in game nine at 1:00 p.m. on Friday and await the winner of the Wright State University-Loyola University Chicago matchup. The Crusaders will face the winner of the University of Detroit Mercy-University of Wisconsin-Green Bay pairing in game 11 at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.

UIC right-hander Sarah Clynes picked up the victory for the Flames as she tossed her second straight shutout of the tournament. In 7.0 innings of work, Clynes struck out five, allowed three hits and walked just two batters. With the win, the UIC junior earned her 15th victory of the year.

Valparaiso starter Andrea Zappia took the loss and fell to 19-9 on the year. In 7.0 innings, Zappia struck out three, allowed two runs and walked two batters.

Offensively the Flames out-hit the Crusaders 7-3 and ran its mark to 22-5 when out-hitting their opponent this season. In addition, UIC improved to 17-1 when leading after six innings.

The Flames threatened early as they loaded the bases with no outs, but Zappia worked out of the jam as she struck out a pair of batters.

She then got UIC junior Melissa Marinacci to fly out to right-center field to end the inning. Marinacci would get her revenge in the fourth inning as she hit a solo home run to centerfield to put the Flames on the board.

Marinacci's solo shot was her seventh round-tripper of the season.

UIC added an insurance run in the sixth as sophomore infielder Stephanie Chavez doubled to left-center field, which scored sophomore infielder Brooke Frydendall from third.

Clynes then shut the door on the Crusader offense as she held Valparaiso without a hit over the next two frames.

For complete coverage of the 2008 Horizon League Softball Championship check out the tournament homepage at www.horizonleague.org.