Softball picks up wins at Spring Fling

Eleni Polites is on the All-Tournament Team after batting .538. — Photo: Steve Woltmann

The softball team (8-10) pulled away with a 4-3 win against Monmouth (2-6) Sunday to close out the UCF Spring Fling Tournament in Orlando.

The Flames won two of five games during the tournament, also beating Fairfield, 9-0, Saturday. They lost to Butler and James Madison Friday and UCF Saturday.

The Flames open Horizon League competition this weekend, hosting Oakland Friday and Saturday at Flames Field.

After Monmouth tied the game in the top of the seventh Sunday, senior Amanda Mener stepped to the plate with junior Laura Swan on second and hit a walk-off single to score the game-winning run.

The Flames put up eight hits against Monmouth, with Mener and senior Eleni Polites producing three each. Polites and Mener were named to the All-Tournament Team after batting .538 and .462 through their five games.

UIC scored an early run in their first round at the plate. After freshman Tiana Mack-Miller reached on a fielder’s choice and Swan walked, senior Erica Hampton singled and Mack-Miller came in to score on a Monmouth error.

The Flames plated two more runs in the second. With sophomore Kaleigh Nagle and junior Dana Capocci on after a walk and bunt single, freshman Taylor Cairns walked and Nagle scored on the wild pitch. Polites hit her first career triple to left field, allowing Capocci to come across the plate.

Monmouth brought in a run in the top of the third and in the sixth. They tied the game in the top of the seventh.

Swan led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and moved to second on a groundout from Hampton. Mener came to plate with one out and singled to bring Swan around the bases for the game-winning run.