UIC moves into Softball Championship final with 9-5 victory over Wright State

Box Score

PENDLETON, Ind. - Top-seeded University of Illinois at Chicago advanced to the championship game for the first time since 2006 with a 9-5 victory over Wright State University Saturday in the Horizon League Softball Championship at Legends Field in Pendleton, Ind.

The Flames (26-25) will play second-seeded Cleveland State University (34-15) today at 4 p.m. ET in a re-match of a game the Vikings won 8-5 Friday night.

With a victory, Cleveland State would claim its first League title since 1997 after losing in the championship game four times in the past six years, including the last two to Wright State.

A UIC victory would force a winner-take-all final between the same two teams Sunday at 9 a.m. ET. The Flames lost to Youngstown State University in the championship game in 2006 after winning six titles in seven years from 1998-2004.

Melissa Marianacci provided most of the offense for the Flames with a three-run home run in the third and a two-run blast in the fifth that gave UIC a 5-3 lead.

The Flames added four more in the sixth for some much-needed insurance as Wright State (34-21) cut the lead to four in the top of the seventh. But Whitney Orellana came out of the bullpen to strike out Mollie Berry and pinchhitter Katie Kine to end the game.

Ashley Hewett (14-8) picked up the victory for UIC, while Allison Cox (3-3) took the loss.