GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - After a three-hour delay, 60 degree temperatures finally landed on Ben Garot Field for the Green Bay (19-19, 6-11 HL) softball team's doubleheader against UIC (18-17, 9-5). The Phoenix jumped to an early lead in game one before falling 7-4 but bounced back to hold on for an 8-6 win to split the series.

Game 1 - UIC 7, Green Bay 4 - Green Bay jumped out to a fast start in the bottom of the first with nobody out and runners on first and second when Danielle Peerenboom (Appleton, Wis.) hit a sacrifice bunt scoring Amanda Omahen (San Diego, Calif.) and giving the Phoenix the 1-0 lead. With runners on the corners, Alli Rivera (Geneseo, Ill.) hit her fourth home run of the season while scoring Peerenboom and Sara Junion (Egg Harbor, Wis.). Rivera blasted the ball to center field, knocking it off the scoreboard to give the Phoenix the 4-0 lead.

UIC led off the fourth inning with a triple down the right field line before Green Bay closed the inning with an infield double play, holding the Flames to one run. However, UIC added two runs in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly to left field and a single down the left field line to cut the Phoenix lead to one (4-3).

With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, the Flames hit a ground ball up the middle to tie the game 4-4. UIC emptied the bases with a double deep to center field to take the 7-4 lead before Tieraney Planasch (Milwaukee, Wis.) struck out the final batter.

UIC retired the side as Green Bay fell 7-4 to the Flames.

Game 2 - UIC 6, Green Bay 8 - Omahen led off the final game of the series with a solo homerun to center field, giving the Phoenix the early 1-0 advantage. With two outs Rivera hit one deep to right center field for her fifth double of the season before being stranded on base to close the first inning of play.

In the second inning, Shannon Butts (Greenfield, Wis.) led off Green Bay with a double down the left field line. With one out Miranda Reinke (Milwaukee, Wis.) hit an RBI triple to center field scoring Haley Andrews (Kirkland, Wash.), who was pinch running for Butts, giving the Phoenix the 2-0 lead.

Green Bay scored four runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning to boost its lead to 6-0. Reinke sparked the Phoenix with an RBI double to center field scoring Cassie Scheel (Hartland, Wis.) before Jessica Hrncar (Bristol, Wis.) followed with a double down the left field line scoring Reinke for the 4-0 lead. Omahen hit her second home run of the season landing a two-run shot over the center field fence to lead 6-0 at the end of four innings of play.

With two outs on the board, UIC hit three RBI singles to cut Green Bay's lead in half (6-3) in the fifth inning. The Flames scored its three runs off four hits while stranding two runners. The Phoenix responded in the bottom of the inning when Butts hit her first homer of the year with a two run shot over the left-center field fence scoring Paige Newtols (Green Bay, Wis.) who reached base on a walk. Green Bay's two runs off one hit gave the Phoenix the 8-3 lead after five.

The Flames came as close as two (8-6) in the top of the sixth when UIC scored three runs on three hits including a two-run triple.

Green Bay's Ashley Nannemann (Burlington, Wis.) picked up her fourth win of the season pitching 4.2 innings while striking out two batters. Behind the plate Reinke and Butts both went 2-for-4 with two RBIs each.

A Look Ahead...Green Bay will host Valparaiso Saturday in its final home series of the season with a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday's game is the annual Strike Out Cancer game with all proceeds from pink t-shirt sales benefiting the Patient's Assistance Fund of Bellin Health.

The Phoenix will wrap up its three-game series against the Crusaders Sunday at 10 a.m. while honoring seniors Katie Cooney (East Moline, Ill.), Sara Junion (Egg Harbor, Wis.) and Kendra Woepse (Manitowoc, Wis.).

Admission is free and all games will be held at Ben Garot Field.