The Flames of UIC gave Sothern Miss fits early, as they did not earn a hit until the Fourth inning. With a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, Flames catcher Rob Calabrese hit a grand slam over the left field wall to give them the 5-run lead.
Southern Miss struck back in the home half of the inning, as pinch hitter Matthew Guidry hit a triple deep into left-center field, scoring 2 runs on the play. Second Baseman Tracey Hadley brought Guidry home the very next at bat, cutting the deficit to 6-4 heading into the sixth inning.