April 1, 2007

Box Score

DETROIT - A balanced offensive attack that banged out a season-high 16 hits helped power Loyola University Chicago (7-12, 3-0 Horizon) to a 14-5 victory over host Detroit (6-14, 0-3 Horizon) this afternoon at Buysse Ballpark. With the win, the Ramblers recorded their first three-game sweep over a Horizon League opponent since 2004.

Things didn't go Loyola's way in the early going as Detroit hung three runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Kaleigh Rafter led off the inning with a seeing-eye single and Jessica Barclay doubled before Adrienne Baran deposited a Krista Crosson pitch over the fence in left center to give the Titans a three-run advantage.

The Ramblers took the lead for good in the top of the second inning, scoring four runs on the benefit of only two hits. An Ellen Kresl RBI single down the right field line was the big hit in the inning. Loyola wasn't done there, however, as it scored three more runs in the top of the third on Tara Miller's two-run single and Kristin Guska's double to right, which put the Maroon and Gold on top 7-3.

Detroit sliced Loyola's lead in half with two runs in the fourth to make it a 7-5 ballgame, but the Ramblers broke the contest open with a five-run fifth inning to take a commanding 12-5 edge. Loyola recorded six hits in the decisive five-run fifth, with the big blow being a two-run home run off the bat of Kat Krause.

Kresl and Guska tallied three hits apiece to lead a Loyola offense that saw nine players record hits. Krause went 2 for 5 and drove in three runs while Ashley Mitchell and Miller had two hits each.

Loyola is off to its best Horizon League start since going 10-0 to open conference play in 2002. The 14 runs are also the most since a 15-5 victory over Valparaiso on March 14, 2003. The Ramblers are back in action this weekend when they host a three-game series versus Wright State beginning Friday, April 6.